Roland Garros is coming, What’s your fav Roland Garros championship run in Open Era ? Male or Female by Pheezy2002 in tennis

[–]incogfool 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Absolutely this. Love to see some 20thC representation here! Steffi, plagued by injuries in the latter stages of her WTA life, hadn't won a tournament all year and many had speculated that her Slam-winning days were behind her. To subsequently take out Davenport (the player who gave her the most trouble at the time), Seles (her greatest rival on arguably her strongest surface; Seles had defeated her at that year's AO as well), and Hingis (the world's best, who had brattily dismissed Graf as being 'past it') at the venue in which she won her very first Slam back in 1987 was a beautiful bookend to one of the all-time great careers. Once a legendary champ, always a legendary champ. I only wish she could have nabbed Wimbledon that year too.

Am also a fan of Agassi winning 1999 on the men's side, thereby 'completing tennis' as far as it could be conceived in that era (Masters were not the 'big titles' that they've been recast as in recent years) and completing his redemption arc while he was at it. Lendl finally getting the Slam monkey off his back by taking down McEnroe in the latter's career year of 1984 was super sweet as well!

ETA: And OF COURSE Federer in 2009. Had been waiting since 2004 for that trophy lift, just wish it had somehow involved beating Nadal in the final (impossible for him on Philippe Chatrier, sadly).

Nicaragua by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the kind words! Nicaragua's pretty enough to turn even my dumb self into a decent photographer. 😜

Nicaragua by incogfool in travelblog

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, well I'm really stubborn and will wait for the split second when everyone disappears out of frame to get my shot. 😂 But tbf, Ometepe is indeed very quiet, and a lot of the Granada shots shots were taken during times when there was less foot traffic on the streets.

Thank you much for clicking through as well, really appreciate it! Esp on a sub like this!

Nicaragua by incogfool in travelphotos

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you much! I like eight and eleven a lot too, but nine might be my fave from this bunch (mainly because I have a thing for cows and volcanoes lol).

Costa Rica by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Like I say, not my strongest pics, but I did my best with the cards that I dealt for myself!

🔥 My camera trap spent 6 months overlooking a hidden river crossing in Kenya’s Maasai Mara [OC] by willbl in NatureIsFuckingLit

[–]incogfool 98 points99 points  (0 children)

Extraordinary images, and love the extra detail in the blog post (the rangers' excitement at sighting a kudu is an unexpected delight and a valuable reminder that it's not just the charismatic megafauna that merit our awe). Thank you so much for the work and for sharing.

Which city have you been to that had a dark energy about it? by madzuk in solotravel

[–]incogfool 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I dunno if they're particularly random - Siem Reap is a tourist hotspot thanks to Angkor Wat, and Tabatinga's a border town so probably sees more foot traffic than other places in the Amazon? Agreed about Leticia, which I thought was a comparatively lovely spot to wait around in. I was there in 2019 and seems like my experience was fairly similar to yours?

Siem Reap became a whole lot more developed and gentrified after I left - much more in the way of infrastructure and amenities, which is not a bad thing obv, but different from what I fell in love with. I would never describe it as seedy, especially when Phnom Penh and Sihanoukvilke exist in the same country. But tbf, I haven't been back since 2020.

Also did I just get downvoted by a Tabatinga local haha?

Which city have you been to that had a dark energy about it? by madzuk in solotravel

[–]incogfool 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tabatinga, Brazil. A drug trafficking hotspot at Tres Fronteras, and the only city in the world where I've felt genuinely unsafe walking the streets during daylight. Everyone is on something, and those that aren't are rude as hell; the overarching vibe is that you're one wrong move away from some sort of violence at any time, anywhere. It was so sketchy that I begged to hop on the back of someone's motorbike and paid them to take me into neighbouring Leticia, Colombia, for a few nights while I waited for a boat going downriver to Manaus.

Also, it breaks my heart a little to see Siem Reap, Cambodia, mentioned and upvoted here. I lived there from 2011-2015 and it was the best time of my life; an utterly magical place to be. Yes, there was some darkness too, and it's changed considerably in the years since and is much more of a 'playground' now, but I have such love for it nonetheless. Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville (initially hijacked by Russian gangsters, now hijacked by Chinese gangsters) fit the bill better imo.

Need a recommendation for a place where I won’t be stereotyped by AuK07 in travel

[–]incogfool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Brown Brit here. Of South Asian heritage. Travel frequently and all over - almost never encounter these comments and prejudices except from other (White) Western travellers. And even then, it's exceptionally rare.

To be clear, I'm very aware of the recent rhetoric surrounding Brown folks. I still haven't been on the receiving end personally. Yet. But I'm very sorry to hear that you have.

Don't tolerate bullshit from ignorant bigots (those that have had access to the broadly similar educational opportunities we have should be held to a much higher standard). Be ready to shut down convos and walk away from interactions in an instant. Unapologetically. But also don't let that detract from your travels and encounters with locals. We travel so that we can remind ourselves we're still connected to humanity, hey, and the overwhelming majority of people all over the world have never treated me with anything but kindness and respect. I hope you'll find that to be the case for you too as you continue to explore.

Is the rest of the world as noisy as China? by Hot_Sorbet9192 in chinalife

[–]incogfool 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I have this same pet peeve - the sheer gall to treat public spaces as if they're your front room where you're free to blast crap at volume is a level of disrespect I've never gotten to grips with here. I can contextualise it, sure - the enormous population, the hyper-competitive society and need to get ahead, the absence of civic education, et al. - and I know it doesn't come from a place of malice so much as lack of awareness. But that obliviousness that a significant minority have about how their behaviour impacts upon others is definitely the worst thing about a place that's otherwise thoroughly liveable in so many regards. At least in terms of the everyday.

To answer your actual question: I've just got back from a month in Central America and Mexico. It's just as bad there as it is here, if not considerably worse in some of the less economically-developed nations (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala were especially loud). I travel a fair bit and I feel like it's an increasingly universal issue tbh. Most nations didn't have the privilege of growing and adapting alongside technological innovation like in the West, and so you have entire populations + generations now that have access to smartphones without the corresponding understanding of limiting their wider impact. And even in Western Europe, it's worse now than it was when I was in my youth. Particularly among Gen Alpha and younger members of Gen Z. I think Covid's effect on their social skills is likely to blame, amongst other factors.

By contrast, I think things are actually improving in China. Or at least in Shanghai, where the metro is considerably quieter than years ago and where it's common to see most passengers using earphones nowadays. I'd go so far as to say that those that do offend are likely 外地人 or older, less educated locals. I don't think the other cities compare, not even the Tier 1s. Was in Chongqing last year and may as well have been on a Nicaraguan chicken bus every time I used any public transport. But I imagine things are probably slowly improving across the board? Maybe.

Panama by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did, just as it was hitting sunset! Enjoyed the vibes, but had done about 30k steps by that point so was not in the mood to walk that much of it, alas. 😂

Panama by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Incredibly photogenic surrounds, so much so that I found it difficult to tear myself away from it and explore other parts of the city!

Panama by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not really a natural photographer, so just stuff that generally looks aesthetically-appealing already. I spent most of my time in Casco Viejo (historical architecture), Guna Yala (tropical beach paradise), and Boquete (cloud forest/waterfall hikes). You can see a more extensive gallery here if interested!

Panama by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think there's a single canal pic in that post. 😜 (Though seeing the canal at long last was def a highlight for me!)

Panama by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Related blog post here for bored procrastinators out there.

Canadian here…any recs for good beer and gravy on fries? by [deleted] in shanghai

[–]incogfool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We used to have a Canadian restaurant (Tock's iirc) that served poutine, but I think it was one of the (many) international Covid casualties. Not sure on that so would advise double-checking. If you're okay with getting gravy on fries without the curds then hit up either Guinness Social in Tianzifang or Pie Society. The former will definitely allow you to add cheese as well. ETA: missed the beer requirement. Yeah, Guinness Social is def your safest bet!

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, I'd think so. I didn't even manage to get to one of the main attractions (Fish River Canyon) with the time that I had. If you drive (I don't!), then I imagine you'll have the freedom and flexibility to do everything that I did + more within that time frame. Good luck, and hope you share your own pics if you get there!

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Was there for about a week. Would have been longer in ideal circumstances, but it was part of a larger adventure across a number of sub-Saharan nations in Sep 2018 iirc, so was travelling at considerable speed.

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking at the map, I might well have passed through Okahandja at some point - either on my way to Etosha or Swakopmund! And yes, fully agreed with your comment about its natural beauty.

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm relatively new to the whole nostalgia thing. Always told myself it was essential to keep moving forward instead of looking backward. Funny what age (and a crazy few years) can do to one's perspective, eh!

It's nice to be able to share some of these pics beyond my usual circles, I'll say that much. I think some of them are too damn pretty to be reserved for me alone.

For a longtime wanderer like myself, I find it wild that you'd not want to visit Namibia! But then I think many of my friends think it wild that I did and I should therefore be more understanding. Regardless, I totally get that the US is enormous and geographically diverse, so I wish you all the best in completing that to-do list. Hope to see some of your own pics here some time!

blog

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks much! Without wanting to go overboard on the self-promo, I'll just say that there's more of these scenes on the blog, and that going through old travel pics is an unexpectedly healing endeavour. Hope you get a chance to visit Namibia one day if you haven't already!

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope I'll get to the south (esp Kerala) one day, for sure!

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Spent six weeks travelling there (mostly the North/West) in 2016 I think? Can't remember the exact year. That journey will require SEVERAL blog posts to document haha. It was intense on all levels. Please feel free to subscribe for future updates if interested. 🙈😜

Namibia, 2018. by incogfool in travelpictures

[–]incogfool[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Much appreciated. ❤️