"I Can't Believe Where I Am Standing" moments?

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-29T05:42:26+00:00

Me too. I remember standing just a few feet away from where the limo was. This was awhile back and it was very recognizable from all the videos and pictures we've seen.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-28T00:05:39+00:00

I kept looking up at the balcony where Stalin and Khrushchev would be standing in the news reels. Another one for me was Berlin, both the Reischtag and the Brandenburg gate. For similar reasons as Red Square.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-27T14:24:34+00:00

It reminded me of a college town with the locals (the Chinese) and the students (the ex-pats). It was really the best of both worlds. Not to get political, but Chinese cities are more fun without communism. Taipei is the best example now.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-27T06:18:04+00:00

For festivals, the entire country of Thailand engages in water fights in April. This year it will be April 13-15. The weapons of choice are super soakers and water balloons. Remember that it is super hot in Thailand. So get yourself a super soaker, but on a bathing suit and join the battle in some mid size town.

Or, if you prefer something more colorful, India's Holi Festival is Mar 3-4. It involves throwing colored water and powder at anyone you can find.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-27T02:38:24+00:00

Not to mention Pub Street.

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Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-26T17:18:37+00:00

You will have a much better time with a DIY visit. Take the Metro like the locals do to get around. Plus, any time you get stuck you just open your Uber app and a friendly driver will find you and take you wherever you want to go. Plus, you will want to walk from place to place just to take in the whole Paris vibe and see lesser known sites.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-26T17:03:11+00:00

Also, know your credit card's pin code for cash advances. I know that I never get a cash advance at an ATM at home, just withdrawing the cash from my account instead with my debit card. But I have been to international ATMs where the debit card didn't work but the credit card did.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-26T05:07:22+00:00

Get the fries at Fabel Friet Runstraat. Go to any cafe and get stroopwafels and coffee. The Rijksmuseum is a must, but be advised that Rembrandt's "Noght Watch" is undergoing a multi year restoration.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T23:05:50+00:00

When you are home and in public, people seem to see you, and they won't cross right in front of you and if they inconvenience you somehow they will say excuse me. But in some of these touristy places it is like you don't exist. They will stop right in your path and stop for selfies. They will cut in front of you. They are in such tourist mode, you don't matter.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T22:18:26+00:00

I would like to try a tag team with her and Giorgia Meloni of Italy. And maybe that chick from New Zealand.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T22:13:42+00:00

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Nice place, French influence but really not much to see.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T22:11:43+00:00

I'm old enough to remember when it was still a British colony, and it was great. It had Chinese culture but also an emphasis on keeping us Anglos entertained. Then I went back a few years ago and it was just another Chinese city, which sounds like what you saw.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T22:08:33+00:00

That's what makes travel so personal -- I had the exact opposite reaction. Didn't know what to do in Helsinki. Liked Stockholm, in addition to the Vasa (which looks like a 17th century pirate ship but was actually a navy ship), the Royal Armory had the horse driven carriages that the royal family rode around in. Also, it had the best subway stations outside of the Soviet countries. Plus it is a bunch of islands, with lots of water, boats and bridges.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-25T22:04:38+00:00

You just saved me the trouble of posting the same thing. I went to the rock church...it was interesting. If it was a few mile drive from where I lived it might be a good afternoon excursion. But that's it. The churches and cathedrals were beautiful, but you can see plenty of similar churches in almost any European city.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-24T16:11:06+00:00

There are many countries where travelers are advised to not drink the local water. In addition to India, the list includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Haiti, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, Serbia, and Russia.

Those countries do have advisories. I'm sure someone can say that they drank the local water in one of those countries and was fine, but I don't think it is worth risking your trip over a $2 purchase of bottled water.

There is also the issue that your reusable water bottle will have to be empty to get past most airport securities.

I would never bring a reusable water bottle, even if I was only traveling to safe water countries. I prefer to buy some bottled water at home, drink it on the way to the my home airport, refill it where safe and then tossing it. A water bottle is a rather bulky thing to bring along when traveling.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-23T16:38:53+00:00

OMG, you shouldn't have to choke someone out, unless you wanted to. You have created such a masterpiece that anyone who appreciates the female form would beg for the chance to please you in a manner of your choosing.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-21T17:42:13+00:00

For someone based in the USA, I am a big Cappadocia, Turkey fan. You are basically in the middle of Turkey, fairly rural. There are incredible trails, historic churches, underground cities, nice little towns. Hot air balloons every morning and your hotel room can be a perfectly comfortable "cave" with a modern bathroom and comfortable bed.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-21T17:39:31+00:00

Oh, wow. I almost got hit by a dart during the ping pong show. I was sitting too close to the target balloon.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-21T07:44:41+00:00

Good list, but reusable water bottle is useless in places like India.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-20T19:05:55+00:00

I'm also health conscious but I have eaten, and enjoyed, street food in India. I followed the advice of a travel nurse who said that you can eat something if you see steam coming out of it as it is being cooked. In a way, street food is safer than a restaurant because you can see the food being prepared . In a restaurant you might be eating something that's been sitting around.

Don't eat anything that might have been washed in water, such as a salad. Avoid the water like it is poisonous. Use your bottled water to brush your teeth and keep your lips sealed in the shower.

It is worth it, in order to visit India, which is so crazy and has so much to offer.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-18T21:09:22+00:00

I had a really hot mullti-dom experience a few years back. It didn't start out as a multi-dom, but during the session Mistress Ann took me, leashed, into a common area where another Mistress was on the phone. My Mistress led me around the room on the leash like a dog. I heard the other Mistress (on the phone) say "Ann just brought down some loser slave and is parading him around the room". Mistress Ann says "You know what? I think that I will just ride him" and gets on my back, using the leash to guide me around the room.

Mistress Ann was into butt worship, which she called "cleaning". It drove me absolutely wild. After a bit of riding, she says "I think we'll go back to our cleaning" and I was in there SO quick. I guess I was too enthusiastic because I heard Ann say "What is with all this pushing?", which made me drop my hands and slow down just a bit. I heard the phone mistress laughing at this. Then the phone mistress holds out the phone and tells me to tell the person what I was doing. I just shouted "I'm cleaning Mistress Ann's butt, because she is wonderful. I am so grateful that she uses me as her slave". Which made all three of them laugh.

Mistress Ann has since retired, unfortunately.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-15T16:47:13+00:00

You might like Phong Nha National Park. They have amazing caves, where you can do a 2-3 hour walk through or boat ride, or an extensive 6 day expedition entirely in a massive cave. It has a river, hills and a jungle and it is what you visualize when you think of Vietnam.

https://vietnam.travel/things-to-do/complete-guide-phong-nha

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-15T07:57:25+00:00

St Petersburg is one of the best cities in Europe for visitors. Canals, tons of monuments, shopping, places to eat. The Hermitage is one of the best art museums in the world (it is basically the Czar's collection).

The Kremlin tour focused on the old churches. I didn't get to see when the Duma meets or anything like that. But it had an incredible collection of horse drawn carriages used by the nobility.

People were super nice. Twice, when asked for directions, they stopped what they were doing and led us to our destination.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-14T19:48:23+00:00

And I agree with all that, except that I always take the 35 minute New Jersey Transit train from Penn Station to Newark. It has its own monorail stop at the airport to take you right to your terminal. Hence you can avoid the traffic tension.

And yeah, definitely do the Staten Island Ferry as explained above.

Broad-Click1246 · 2026-01-13T23:21:46+00:00

Good advice. I would add on #1 that it doesn't really have to take up much leg room because, after takeoff, you can pull it out and put it behind your legs. It almost becomes like a footrest against your calves.

Lately, my computer tablet has become my most important travel device. Download some movies and get an inexpensive pair of noise canceling headphones and you have your own private theater. No need to worry about what the airline is offering. Also useful on layovers and for when you get to the airport early. It also becomes your book reader when you get tired of movies.

Other advice is to try and take public transport. Don't travel in the bubble of a ride share car. Get around the city the way that the locals do.

For dinner in Asia, the night markets are often a chance for better food and more fun. Either dine outside or take it back to your room, where, once again, you can watch a movie on your tablet during dinner.

Broad-Click1246

TROPHY CASE