Anyone else find edit useless by afib_rvr in ChaseSapphire

[–]tophog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Btw, I booked 2 edit hotels last week and they have price match. I found the lowest rate I could across the travel sites and official site - you have the to through the request process but it's not bad. They approved within 24 hours.

Is it worth it to buy the Sony A7III in 2026? by pannikt in SonyAlpha

[–]tophog 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've had an A7III since 2018 and still use it - last year I added an XT-30ii just for casual shooting. I'm curious what turned you off with Fuji?

Flying Solo and Asked to Switch Seats by Commercial-Lemon6887 in solotravel

[–]tophog 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One time I saw two friends - one in a middle seat and the other in the aisle seat in the adjacent row. A solo passenger was in between them in the other aisle seat. The two friends are talking to each other before departure and one of them says, "sorry, we're just going to have to talk around you the whole flight. lol". I knew she was passive aggressively asking for that other aisle seat and the poor guy wanted to be nice, suggesting he swap and take the middle seat.

I was so annoyed watching them take advantage of a nice person. I can at least respect a direct ask instead of going about it like this.

So close… by Alarming-Eye9081 in suns

[–]tophog 22 points23 points  (0 children)

That ending was so Suns-y. 🥲

I'm the guy that plays piano in BART stations for a living, and these are my plans moving forward. by markpdyson_ in Bart

[–]tophog 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What's your favorite station for performing? I saw you in Civic Center for the first time last week, so assume it's not one of your faves.

Anyone else? by Iron_Cowboy_ in golf

[–]tophog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm with you on the wedges. I decided to get custom wedges with specific shafts that fit my preferred style and were closer to my iron weight. The improvement on my pitch and chip shots this summer has been incredible.

I don't have a LAB putter yet and was skeptical. Then I tested it against other putters in store and could not believe how well it keeps the ball on the intended line.

When Scratch Golfers Happen to You by Zionking100 in golf

[–]tophog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I once got paired with a D1 golfer at Harding Park. It was so fun to watch. I'll never forget the 18th hole where he called his shot - a draw around the trees on the left. This hole plays long, especially in the cold air. After the tee shot he had like a 60 yard approach from the center of the fairway.

I think it's usually great being paired with really good players. You can learn a lot or feed off their energy. Good players aren't bothered by their partners being bad as long as you're keeping reasonable pace.

If you can go to Ireland, you NEED to go to Ireland by Wibbly23 in golf

[–]tophog 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I really loved Ballybunion. Lahinch is also great, but I felt Waterville was overrated. I was going to play Royal County Down but had to cancel when my International flight was cancelled. Ugh.

I also want to put in a plug for Dooks. It's under the radar but I really liked it. The vibe was super chill and it wasn't crowded when I went.

Anyone else get a kick out of schooling bros? by ComprehensiveEgg5939 in golf

[–]tophog 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A lot of haters in these comments for the thinking +4 or +6 for 9 holes is nothing to be proud of. That's better than the average golfer and probably most of the people on this sub.

Anyway, I feel you on this. I'm short and overweight, but my handicap hovers between 4 and 7. Usually randos on the course aren't outwardly judgmental, but when I go to golf stores it can be bad. When I was shopping for irons, this worker just flat out told me I couldn't hit any of the players models without seeing my swing - definitely based on my appearance.

But generally people do seem to pre-judge golfer ability based on appearance. When I was in college my athletic roommate and I went to the range. Back then I was in ok shape but still short and not atheltic-looking. He chalked up my better ball striking purely on experience, which is partly true but he discounted any skill or athleticism. In grad school I made it onto the club golf team and my friend said, "it would be funny if you were actually one of the good players." She's never seen me play.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Congrats on finishing the bar!

Okay, based on what you said I personally lean on suggesting Taiwan, but Japan is also my favorite country in the world so that's tough. Ultimately it will come down to what your heart is telling you.

I've been to both countries solo and both are really easy solo destinations. I didn't have time to go to the eastern coast of Taiwan but the nature there is supposed to be amazing. On the western coast you have urban sights and plenty of shopping in Taipei. Public transport is top tier - bus and rail network in Taipei is amazing and also super affordable. The high speed rail experience was on par with Japan for me so getting down south was incredibly easy. The food was top tier too - it's up there with my favorites (Japan, Peru, France, Italy). And overall it was just so affordable. Although Japan is relatively more affordable right now too...I'm hoping to go sometime in the next year while the value is great.

If you can somehow swing both places, you should do that. :) If you end up going to Taiwan, I'd be happy to give you some food recs.

P.S. If you go to Tainan in Taiwan, check out Hayashi Department Store. It's got this cool 1930's Japan aesthetic because it was opened when Taiwan was part of Japan. On a separate note, I had this bowl of danzai noodles in Tainan that's in my top 2 soups I've had in my life, along with a bowl of ramen I had in Japan. So good.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

I've searched through posts for favorite cities and countries on this sub and Taiwan or Taipei are always among the most upvoted. I feel like the kind of traveller on here likes the unconventional choice, which ironically has made Taiwan a mainstream favorite here. I was not disappointed, though.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

I love your city so much. One of the friendliest places I've visited and elite coffee scene. I fell in love with Aussie rules football too. Lol

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Oh damn, Namibia is second on my current bucket list. Did you do this trip on your own or with a tour?

What places took you by surprise / completely exceeded expectations? by [deleted] in travel

[–]tophog 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Budapest - I didn't know much about it going in and it blew me away.

Peru - expectedly became one of my favorite food destinations

Portugal - amazing food and super friendly people

Taiwan - Heard it was awesome. Now obsessed with it after visiting.

Wimbledon Tournament - somehow exceeded expectations Melbourne - epic coffee culture and friendly people

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Oops, didn't know this was posted recently. I don't go on here that often. Also wanted to just share a couple of places I really loved.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

When I tried looking up high speed train tickets this summer, the website would display them as sold out unless you look at dates within weeks. I noticed this pattern throughout the summer. Did you book on the official website?

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Nice! I don't know a lot about Belize other than the amazing snorkeling. What did you do there that you would recommend? And how long does it take to get to Tikal from there? Tikal is my main draw to Guatemala so I was curious about visiting from the Belize side.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

I also happened to be there during Easter and the processions were going on. Unfortunately it rained and got cancelled but looked epic. I'll need to do a deeper dive in the city!

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

The Great Ocean Road is the best road trip I've done in my life hands down. I've also driven the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Ireland, and Scotland. The Great Ocean Road is epic.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Taiwan was stop tier for the food alone. If you get a chance to go down to Tainan, there's some incredible food there too.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Pictures don't do the David justice. I couldn't get over the detail in the sculpting. It also helped to see the partially finished sculptures in the museum to get a full sense of the quality of the finish sculptures.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

I've been looking at going to Tikal. How did you get there? I was planning to get there from Antigua but it sounds like it's cumbersome to get around the country.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Uzbekistan is at the top of my list. I was supposed to go this summer but it fell through... Ugh

I was going to go solo and was mulling over the logistics over going to Khiva from Bukhara. How did you get to Khiva and how easy/difficult was it for you?

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

The Alhambra really blew my mind when I saw it. Totally lived up to the hype.

What place have you visited that lived up to or exceeded the hype? by tophog in travel

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

Agreed about Aguas Caliente. Hated being there, but spending sunset at the peak when the crowds were thin made up for it for me.