Yeah, this will probably be our first solo kidless vacation so probably a lot of the later. Would have rather gone some place else, but I'm sure it'll be fine
I’ve never been in a city that felt more alive than Bangkok. I lived in NYC few years and Bangkok blew it away in terms of pure chaos/craziness. The traffic was biblical
I bought a sleepmask with Bluetooth headphones built in from AliExpress and it might be my favorite travel accessory. I tested it out on my Lufthansa flight last night. It doesn't block out any noise per se but it was great being able to sleep with podcasts quietly playing. https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKgUB9o
I have anxiety and used to be a shift worker so my circadian rhythm is all screwed up, and these have been a godsend for me in terms of sleeping every night.
Not really; they're all pretty much exactly the same and they all last 6-12 months before you need to replace them (the charging wire is about 2mm and will eventually brake). Unless you go for the super swanky versions, that I haven't tried cuz they're like $100. When I get home I'll post a picture of my current one - it has eye cushions and a USB-C port, so I like it.
Flew delta first class to SLC last week since the price difference was negligible after paying for a checked bag. Flight was on a year old a321neo. Interior was great. Painless boarding. Service was good. Wish I had a few more snacks. The IFE was top notch. One big gripe though- the seat itself wasn’t all that comfortable. My flight was 90 minutes and my butt started getting uncomfortable. Would be upset if I had that on a cross country flight. Edit: just did some googling and it appears many people have the same complaint
Flights and lodging for family summer trip to Yellowstone/Grand Teton all booked. Staying in Island Park ID for the Yellowstone portion and Victor ID for Grand Teton.
Couldn’t find anything in the search that seemed relevant, has anyone been to the El Tunco/La Libertad area of El Salvador? Considering a surf week there, the country has gotten far safer than it used to be.
Are there any AirBnB deals to be had with credit card points? I seem to recall you used to could get a better deal using Amex rewards.
I converted Amex points to Airbnb gift cards and then used them to pay for a work retreat (which I then expensed) as a way to essentially convert some points to cash a couple of years ago. The conversion rate for gift cards at the time was very good but not sure what it is now
newer planes have these new slim seats to add legroom / cram in more seats and the trade off is your ass and back hurt
Got back from Prague last night and holy shit am I feeling the post vacation hangover. It was one of those trips where you feel more tired after than before. Routing: ORD - FRA: Lufthansa A340-200 FRA - PRG: Lufthansa A320 PRG - FRA: Lufthansa A320 FRA - CLT: American Airlines 777-200 We wound up staying in Frankfurt the first night because we didn't land until 2 pm and would have had a 9 pm connection to Prague. We decided to just spend the day there and continue on the following day. On the way back, we decided to fly to Frankfurt a day early since the flight to CLT was at 9:20 am. We kind of regretted going back to Frankfurt a day early since 1 day in FRA is almost too much. Frankfurt Things Spoiler: Frankfurt Things We walked around Romerberg mindlessly for hours. Just seeing what was going on and some cool buildings. It's almost cool to see the old German buildings with skyscrapers in the background but just almost cool. Coffee: Holy Cross Brewing Society: This place was really good although pricey. It was about $6 for a little 6-8 oz coffee but it was really good https://maps.app.goo.gl/j2sEBw5iHsbBVjg77 Food: The Different Kebab: We were walking around mindlessly and popped into this little shop. It's not really fast food but get your food at the counter and sit down. It was really good. Shockingly good. https://maps.app.goo.gl/PQSb68rn75zQVCsX6 Der Fette Bulle: A trendy burger spot with "worldly" burgers. It was pretty good but I wouldn't go as far out of my way to go again. If it's near, it's a good spot https://maps.app.goo.gl/SRpXsmVTiYhb4XcNA Beer: Zum Bitburger: A nice local beer hall with a lively scene and a noisy crowd. They do slow pour pilsners which takes around 7 minutes per pour. It was a fun experience. https://maps.app.goo.gl/b3YrgBsa4ARCadu67 We tried to go out for drinks around the Frankfurt Main train station but found the area to feel too sketchy and seedy so we quickly bailed on that. Prague quickly climbed my list of favorite cities in Europe. The accessible and cheap public transit, the unfathomably beautiful architecture, the old cobble streets, and the rich history of the city were all top notch. And that's not to mention the $3 pints of Pilsner Urquell! I feel like I could spend a lifetime wondering the streets with no destination and never get tired of it. You could definitely tell it's a "touristy" city based on the trap style restaurants and bars but if you search stuff out you can find a real traditional experience. Prague Things Spoiler Tourist Things: Day 1: We spent walking around with no destination. Just getting a feel for the city. We walked all over Old Town and New Town while constantly pointing at buildings every block going, "Holy shit look at this!" We wandered over the Charles Bridge which was cool but I'd suggest doing that as early as possible in the day. The crowds definitely show up in the midday/afternoon. Day 2: We booked a free walking tour (https://freewalkingtourprague.eu/). I had asked about these last year while I was in Buenos Aires and people ITT recommended to do them. I have done a few now and they're absolutely great. This one they talked, of course, about they history of the city and the areas but also gave you pointers on how to avoid tourist traps. At the end of the tour, they gave us a link to their Google Maps guide with all kinds of suggestions for food/coffee/beer/attractions. We found that to be worth as much as the tour itself. They also gave out a little pocket dictionary with Czech translations for about 10 words/phrases and we referenced that nonstop for the rest of the trip. Overall, I would do this again 10/10 We booked a dinner river cruise which was fun but got expensive quick with drinks not being included. It was a fun experience and you got to see Prague's lights from a different perspective. https://www.prague-boats.cz/prague-by-night-prague-dinner-cruise Day 3: We started to hit more of the tourists spots. Included were the dancing building, funicular to Petřín, the little Eiffel Tower, and the walk up to the Prague Castle but didn't tour it because it had shorter hours this day. Day 4: We climbed the Astronomic Clock which was cool just for the view and different perspective of seeing Prague from above. We ventured down to see the TV Tower with the babies climbing up it designed by David Černý. Also stopped by his sculptures of the guys peeing into the Czech shaped pool and his weird ass faceless baby statues. We walked down Prague's "Narrowest Street" which was goofy and strolled through Kampa Park. Just an absolute perfect day with the weather being in the upper 60s, however, the city was absolutely packed. We kind of got a taste of the overcrowding that people complain about in the summer. Prague Recs Spoiler Do all the tourist things. There was nothing we really regretted doing and nothing really felt like a tourist trap. Food: Manifesto Market: It's kind of like an open air market with ~20 food vendors serving all kinds of cuisines. It's a little bit of a trip out of the Old Town touristy area but it felt like a locals spot. The prices weren't very cheap but the quality was really good. https://maps.app.goo.gl/X2hhfKkQ4CWD39HA6 U Rudolfina: A rough around the edges Czech restaurant full of locals with fair prices. I had the Guláš and a few Pilsner Urquell's and left very satisfied. https://maps.app.goo.gl/3dsq1YwfC3LubzUh8 NAM: Viet Kitchen we randomly hit up a Vietnamese restaurant that was recommended by locals and it proved to be very good with quick service. https://maps.app.goo.gl/H7V3cpAF1EhLPpX2A Beer: We hit up several Craft Brew bars which all proved to be excellent. Craft House: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HpmS66hs9se9Q9Pu8 U Kunštátů: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PrxoShU7cbd1F4ZD9 Myslíš?: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Lq7ZSHEMcNXnBQCHA And a good cash only dive bar that was open until 4 AM U Sudu Wine Bar: https://maps.app.goo.gl/m4sKQEhSy3DWMxmy6
Hello friend, . I went last year in mid april. Stayed in Sunzal, which is basically next to Tunco Walking distance down the beach. Stayed directly in front of Sunzal point break. Tunco is kind of busy, parties on the weekend, just depends on what you want. Me and a buddy walked in for dinner each night. I'll be back in 3 weeks and staying in El Zonte, which is a little further west. Another point break/river mouth. Smaller village, but still some food options. Last year we hired a guide through Sunzal Surf Co. I'm going back solo and hired him direct. $400 for airport pick up/drop off then 3 full days with him. He'll surf with me, go into the line up, and also take pics. More importantly already got him locating the top pupusa spots around each break. Everywhere felt completely safe. We left phones/backpacks in the car in front of Punta Roca and in La Libertad. Shit I wouldn't do in Atlanta, lol
Warsaw is way cooler than I would have thought. Old Town is beautiful but really touristy. Whole city is super walkable with tons of green space. Wish I had more time to explore
For redemption value/schedule reasons, trying to weigh some pros and cons between making a post-Paris Europe exit from either Geneva or Frankfurt. Geneva is obviously a bit closer and I assume more picturesque, but just thought I'd see if anyone wants to chime in beyond that...
I loved Warsaw. Super friendly people, good food and incredibly cheap, lots of history. I loved the mix of communist era buildings with historical and then modern. Really Cool to see all the different phases the city has gone through.
Really loved eating in Eastern Europe. I know the cuisine isn't for everyone but it's crazy how good of a meal you can get for next to nothing. Even the upper scale restaurants in Budapest and Krakow were a bargain.
Same, I went there for work and the last night there we told the local associates to take us to the nicest place they knew of and we would expense it. We went and wined and dined our way through that menu. I had some of the best veal of my life and the bill came and it was like $35 per person.
Frankfurt is fine, nice for a day or two. The central square is a fantastic place to drink German beer and watch a football match. The area around the train station is a bit rough around the edges. The cathedral tower is a fun activity. I haven’t been to Geneva but you are probably correct in it being more picturesque but probably much more expensive compared to Frankfurt.
Anyone ever explored mainland Greece? I'll definitely spend some time in Athens. Probably gonna do a hike near Mt Olympus one day, Kalabaka (Kalabaka?) the next, but not sure what to do the third day
kalabaka is one of the coolest places ive been. well worth it to get up there for sunset with one of the tours. but fuck that train ride from athens straight to hell
Son I've noticed that surf reports just equate "big waves" with "green" and "good." Whenever it's green down here that pretty much means it's too big for me.
Green is good, dark green is very good, blue is epic At least that us surfline's rating. I ordered a new board yesterday
Can confirm on everything in Switzerland being expensive. I believe it ended up being almost $1,000 for 9 of us to take a gondola ride from Wengen to Grindelwald and back.
Im at the albergó del sonato by the pantheon where do I eat around here Lyrtch letan looking for pizza right now and anything else, and gelato
We didn’t have a bad meal without any plans to go anywhere highly rated. There was some hole in the wall place near our apartment that was like €5-10 and was still great. I liked the gelato place right near the apartment more than the one I’d seen rated as the best
We all know devine is poor but the gossip is that he married into money so my recommendation is La Pergola on via Alberto Cadlolo Slip the hostess €5 and mention my name
10 days into the Europe move & it's been awesome. My Amsterdam list getting a big refresh so if anyone heading here soon let me know so I can share
Trinidad in Sept. or St. Croix in Jan or Feb? Got a couple SCF emails recently and would love to start planning a trip to the tropics.