Holidays 2015

[ewerk 30612]

Personally I didn't think that the 9/11 memorial was worth the time spent queuing and going through security for, though there's a museum open now so that may add something. You'll need tickets pre-booked if you want to do.

 

I didn't bother visiting Liberty Island, I passed it on the way to Ellis Island and that was enough for me.

 

Other than that I basically did all the usual touristy stuff. If you have time then I'd recommend spending part of a day in Brooklyn, even if it's only to do the walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge around sunset.

[Happy Face 29]

Heard that there's a lovely gift shop at the 9/11 memorial site.

 

Those defending that argue there's also a gift shop at Auchwitz*.

 

My reaction tended the opposite way "Why in fuck is there a gift shop at Auchwitz!?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

*They sell postacards

[Happy Face 29]

I always liked the sound of the High Line

 

http://www.thehighline.org/about/park-information

[ChezGiven 0]

Off to new york next sunday. Any must do/must not do stuff? Never been before like and there's so much stuff to get through I'd hate to waste time on shit trips/excursions (I hate heights btw)

 

Fuck the tourist shit, go out and get wankered with New Yorkers. If i was there this weekend, i'd be going to this.

 

http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?607917

[Happy Face 29]

If I was there next weekend i'd be going to this...

 

http://www.bkhiphopfestival.com/

[Monkeys Fist 42452]

This sounds..... Interesting

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hart-island

[ChezGiven 0]

If I was there next weekend i'd be going to this...

 

http://www.bkhiphopfestival.com/

 

I'm very ambivalent about live hip-hop but that does look mint on the video.

[Happy Face 29]

This sounds..... Interesting

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hart-island

 

Reminded me of this...

 

 

A 10-minute boat ride from the Bronx’s Barretto Point Park, North Brother Island originally housed Riverside Hospital between the 1880s and 1930s. While in operation, the hospital served hundreds of patients who suffered from extremely communicable diseases, including smallpox, typhus, scarlet fever and even leprosy. It was also where “Typhoid Mary” was quarantined, and where she eventually died. In a 1935 profile for the New Yorker, the editor Stanley Walker described the island as “…a dismal spot. Sitting there, one may see, as the best view, the gas tanks on the Bronx shore. Now and then a ferryboat glides past. At night the dirty water of the East River laps against the rocks, making a messy, ghostly noise.”

 

More pics and story here...

 

The Last Unknown Place In New York

[JaMoUsE 0]

Cheers chap's. Bit gutted its out of season for the sports other than baseball

[Ayatollah Hermione 13869]

Queuing for everything on Liberty Island will make you never complain about another queue in your life. It's a mega queue. The queues that all other queues have led up to. By my count, there's the wait and queue to get on the ferry, the wait on the ferry, the queue to get off, the queue to get into the greeting center, the queue while you're all going through the metal detectors and security checks, the queue to get into the Statue itself and then the queue getting up the stairs.

 

Big old statue though.

[ewerk 30612]

I've spent the past five days in a nice little hotel in Ko Samui. The first four days were the usual sort of holiday thing, rising late, lounging round the pool with a book, floating around in the pool and finishing the afternoon with a few cocktails.

 

And then yesterday the Aussies arrived.

 

I first knew something was wrong when there were three kids fucking about in the pool splashing everyone in sight when they bombed in. Then they started throwing stones into the pool at which point I told them not to and commented to myself about the standard of parenting. Next thing the adults of the group are doing the exact same fucking thing, jumping in, splashing everyone and throwing a ball around with special needs-like inaccuracy. A loud, well placed 'for fuck's sake!' thankfully saw them move down the pool from me.

 

This morning I was awoken at 9am to the piercing shrill of a group of loud middle-aged Australian women outside my chalet greeting each other as if they hadn't met in 20 years.

 

The worrying thing is that all this is done while sober. This is my first real experience of large groups of Australians together and while I'm loath to tar them all with the same brush, they appear to be a country of manner less, ill bred wankers. It's amazing how the entire place can go from being a quiet hotel mostly patronised by continental Europeans to a fucking hellhole with the introduction to just 20 Australians. Thank fuck I'm off to another hotel today.

[Howmanheyman 33223]

I've spent the past five days in a nice little hotel in Ko Samui. The first four days were the usual sort of holiday thing, rising late, lounging round the pool with a book, floating around in the pool and finishing the afternoon with a few cocktails.

 

And then yesterday the Aussies arrived.

 

I first knew something was wrong when there were three kids fucking about in the pool splashing everyone in sight when they bombed in. Then they started throwing stones into the pool at which point I told them not to and commented to myself about the standard of parenting. Next thing the adults of the group are doing the exact same fucking thing, jumping in, splashing everyone and throwing a ball around with special needs-like inaccuracy. A loud, well placed 'for fuck's sake!' thankfully saw them move down the pool from me.

 

This morning I was awoken at 9am to the piercing shrill of a group of loud middle-aged Australian women outside my chalet greeting each other as if they hadn't met in 20 years.

 

The worrying thing is that all this is done while sober. This is my first real experience of large groups of Australians together and while I'm loath to tar them all with the same brush, they appear to be a country of manner less, ill bred wankers. It's amazing how the entire place can go from being a quiet hotel mostly patronised by continental Europeans to a fucking hellhole with the introduction to just 20 Australians. Thank fuck I'm off to another hotel today.

 

Unbelievable when people talk loud as fuck outside your door, like. Had a few Yanks doing this in the early hours a couple of times in Mexico. It was obvious they were going home, weren't pissed and were a family but they cannot do 'quietly' if their lives depended on it.

[Gemmill 44886]

I'll never forget the first time I went out for a meal with a big bunch of Aussies when I lived in America. Absolutely no filter and no volume control whatsoever. The looks our table was getting off all the staff and other diners, it was excruciating. "Facking this and Facking that" at the tops of their voices.

[Ausman 0]

Gee I had similar experience with a lot Pommies in Spain and Portugal, I would say it's this thing, called holiday mode, when a bunch of people from the same country get together.

[Gemmill 44886]

Aye tbf Brits basically invented being rowdy bellends on holiday.

[OTF 7295]

Queuing for everything on Liberty Island will make you never complain about another queue in your life. It's a mega queue. The queues that all other queues have led up to. By my count, there's the wait and queue to get on the ferry, the wait on the ferry, the queue to get off, the queue to get into the greeting center, the queue while you're all going through the metal detectors and security checks, the queue to get into the Statue itself and then the queue getting up the stairs.

 

Big old statue though.

Twice to New York and both times didn't wait for the ferry. This first time we vowed we would do it for sure the next time. The next time it was the middle of a heat wave and I pulled the plug after 10 minutes in the queue just to buy tickets. I was dripping sweat just standing still in direct sunlight. There was a similar lack of protection in the queue to get on the ferry.

 

We ended up walking up to the Brooklyn Bridge instead and crossing that (we should have taken the subway there given the temp). The makeshift vendors selling iced water part way across were a god send. So, if you're going to go to Ellis island book your tickets in advance to at least save that queue.

 

Also if you're at all into theatre etc then see as much as you can whilst you're there. It's the pinnacle of theatre and there's so much variety that you'll find something for just about every taste. I'd be seeing Book of Mormon there as a priority.

[OTF 7295]

Also, I preferred the view from Rockefeller over the Empire State as you get a good view of Central Park and the Empire State from it. Will have lesser crowds and you can normally get discounted tickets. It also doesn't feel like you're close to the edge anywhere despite the great views so even with your fear of heights you may be ok.

[Renton 21627]

Twice to New York and both times didn't wait for the ferry. This first time we vowed we would do it for sure the next time. The next time it was the middle of a heat wave and I pulled the plug after 10 minutes in the queue just to buy tickets. I was dripping sweat just standing still in direct sunlight. There was a similar lack of protection in the queue to get on the ferry.

 

We ended up walking up to the Brooklyn Bridge instead and crossing that (we should have taken the subway there given the temp). The makeshift vendors selling iced water part way across were a god send. So, if you're going to go to Ellis island book your tickets in advance to at least save that queue.

 

Also if you're at all into theatre etc then see as much as you can whilst you're there. It's the pinnacle of theatre and there's so much variety that you'll find something for just about every taste. I'd be seeing Book of Mormon there as a priority.

Not sure Broadway is in any way superior to the west end personally. Would love to see the book of Mormon but the waiting list was insane last time I was in NY (nearly 3 years ago).

[Renton 21627]

I've spent the past five days in a nice little hotel in Ko Samui. The first four days were the usual sort of holiday thing, rising late, lounging round the pool with a book, floating around in the pool and finishing the afternoon with a few cocktails.

 

And then yesterday the Aussies arrived.

 

I first knew something was wrong when there were three kids fucking about in the pool splashing everyone in sight when they bombed in. Then they started throwing stones into the pool at which point I told them not to and commented to myself about the standard of parenting. Next thing the adults of the group are doing the exact same fucking thing, jumping in, splashing everyone and throwing a ball around with special needs-like inaccuracy. A loud, well placed 'for fuck's sake!' thankfully saw them move down the pool from me.

 

This morning I was awoken at 9am to the piercing shrill of a group of loud middle-aged Australian women outside my chalet greeting each other as if they hadn't met in 20 years.

 

The worrying thing is that all this is done while sober. This is my first real experience of large groups of Australians together and while I'm loath to tar them all with the same brush, they appear to be a country of manner less, ill bred wankers. It's amazing how the entire place can go from being a quiet hotel mostly patronised by continental Europeans to a fucking hellhole with the introduction to just 20 Australians. Thank fuck I'm off to another hotel today.

This reminds me exactly of my holiday in Mauritius when the south Africans arrived. Its probably just a weekend group thing regardless of nationality, but there is no doubt I n my mind that south Africans (white ones) are the biggest cunts on the planet with the worst accent as well.

[Gemmill 44886]

While we're on, when I was in the Dominican a big Canadian family turned up. It was all-inclusive, and there was a bar in the pool, and honestly these big fat Canadian animals went in the pool at the start of the day, and they stayed in there all day drinking. They were very obviously all just pissing in the pool cos nobody left, and they were absolutely kicking-out-time-in-the-Bigg-Market mortal from lunchtime onwards. One of them spewed in the pool at one point and none of them even seemed to notice; including the spewer. Fucking disgusting.

[ClubSpinDoctor 0]

Cancun has it's fair share on big fat loud yanks. There was this massive whale of a woman that would get in the pool and wouldn't leave it. She wouldn't swim she just stayed at the edge and bellowed over to her husband in her thick New York accent whenever she wanted a drink bringing over. The hotel would have a quiz for guests, each team being issued a pen and paper in traditional quiz fashion. This heffer wasn't even in the quiz, but would just shout the answers to the questions out to the quizmaster so everybody could hear. Not knowing the answer wouldn't stop her either, she'd hazard a few guesses and have a few stabs at each question.

 

You'd think being a big fat mess in a bathing suit would turn you into a shrinking violet wouldn't you

[OTF 7295]

Not sure Broadway is in any way superior to the west end personally. Would love to see the book of Mormon but the waiting list was insane last time I was in NY (nearly 3 years ago).

They're both at the pinnacle in terms of the quality but I think Broadway has more diversity of content. I'm hardly an authority though. Quality of the source material is generally enough for me - I saw an amateur production of Spamalot a few weeks back and once again loved it.

[Howmanheyman 33223]

Gee I had similar experience with a lot Cockneys in Spain and Portugal, I would say it's this thing, called holiday mode, when a bunch of people from the same country get together.

 

FYP.

 

The one and only time I've been to Benidorm we were in an all-inclusive hotel which was decent to be fair, however the European championships were on and although it was great to watch when every other country was on it was a different tale when Ingurland were playing. Absolute arseholes, annoying as fuck, knew fuck all about football and to a man and woman, were from the Midlands down to the South-East. These Arsenal fans were also annoying me cheering on France against Greece, their patter was as fucking woeful as their dress sense so I stood up and punched the air when the Greeks scored shouting 'geddin!' whilst they decided to pipe down a bit and suddenly start looking at their shoes.

[Renton 21627]

While we're on, when I was in the Dominican a big Canadian family turned up. It was all-inclusive, and there was a bar in the pool, and honestly these big fat Canadian animals went in the pool at the start of the day, and they stayed in there all day drinking. They were very obviously all just pissing in the pool cos nobody left, and they were absolutely kicking-out-time-in-the-Bigg-Market mortal from lunchtime onwards. One of them spewed in the pool at one point and none of them even seemed to notice; including the spewer. Fucking disgusting.

. Cuba is full of Canadians because obviously the Yanks can't go there. It's the main drawback Pff Cuba like.

[NJS 4386]

Might have been the time of year but a huge factor in my enjoyment of Barbados in March was the complete lack of cuntish nationalities.

 

Almost spoiled by a Russian on the last day who spoke to the lad putting out the beach umbrellas like he was still on a sugar plantation but in all honestly a polite Russian would have been more of a shock.

 

Might need a casual holiday racism branch for this thread now.