Tell Me Something............Anything!

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Originally Posted by Marco

Well, I've been driving abroad (going from Glasgow to Italy, through various countries to get there) since the mid 90s, when I was working like a dog building up my business. So working's got little to do with it, mate. If you want to do something, you just do it!

In fact one time, I remember finishing work at 11pm, having been at it since 8am that morning, driving down through the night, all the way down to Dover (approx 500 miles), to catch the first ferry into France, then when arriving at Calais, driving a further 3 hours before stopping at a hotel to stay there overnight, all en-route to our family home in Tuscany (we usually spent 3 days getting there, so that the remainder of the journey was reasonably leisurely)...

I simply wouldn't have had it any other way, as the journey itself, through all sorts of lovely places in France and Switzerland, then into Italy, being able to stop when you liked at nice hotels or restaurants and buy some lovely food and wine en-route, was a joy, and also part of the holiday itself (we were usually away for 3 or 4 weeks in total):cool:

As an aside, I always wondered why you never got a driving licence... Don't you like driving, or what? As owning a car would've given/would still give you now, so much more freedom. So why no driving licence for the Maccster?:)

Marco.

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It’s funny - I can’t think of anything worse than that. Obviously if the aim of the game is a driving/touring holiday then fair enough, but if you’re just looking to get somewhere then if has to be flying every time.

I love the fact that I can jump out of my bed at 4am, head to Heathrow and be in Munich before the High End Show opens at 10:30. Then, the next day, I head off after the show for a leisurely dinner and a pint at the airport and am back in my own bed by midnight!

Equally, I’ve only ever driven and taken the ferry to Ursula’s parents in Ireland once and it was a dreadful 10 hour slog. Normally we leave for Southampton airport at 5:30am and are in Athlone for 10:00. Give me the aeroplane every time!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

It’s funny - I can’t think of anything worse than that. Obviously if the aim of the game is a driving/touring holiday then fair enough, but if you’re just looking to get somewhere then if has to be flying every time.

I love the fact that I can jump out of my bed at 4am, head to Heathrow and be in Munich before the High End Show opens at 10:30. Then, the next day, I head off after the show for a leisurely dinner and a pint at the airport and am back in my own bed by midnight!

Equally, I’ve only ever driven and taken the ferry to Ursula’s parents in Ireland once and it was a dreadful 10 hour slog. Normally we leave for Southampton airport at 5:30am and are in Athlone for 10:00. Give me the aeroplane every time!

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Totally get that, Adam, and if we just wanted to get somewhere quickly, or didn't have a lot of time, we'd fly, as we did recently for our 25th wedding anniversary to Austria. However, summer holidays are different. That's where we'll take advantage of Del's lengthy (and well-earned) teacher holidays, and go to Europe in the car, usually to France and/or Italy, or Germany, for 3-4 weeks.

Like Martin, we can't stand the crowds and hassle of busy airports, so would always avoid that when possible, and as I've said before, a big thing for us is being able to bring back loads of goodies home, which is impossible when you're flying. In fact, even if we flew somewhere on holiday, as long as it was for more than a few days, we'd always hire a car in the destination country, so we could tour around the area and not be stuck in one place, as having that type of freedom is vital to our holiday enjoyment.

The other, rather important point, is that I *love* driving [in the Brabser, as it's such a fun and comfortable car to drive or be a passenger in for long distances] - especially abroad, well off the beaten track. Rural France is great for that, when you can travel MILES on fantastic roads, surrounded by beautiful scenery, and hardly see another soul!

Then, when the mood takes you, just stop at some lovely little family-run restaurant for lunch, and have the most amazing meal, for not a lot of money, or at a lovely quaint town and go round the local market, or do some shopping. Del gets a lot of her clothes in France too, as she's petite. The styles there in designer boutiques suit her, and I'm pretty much fluent in French, so there's no language barrier either to contend with.

It's great fun, mate - far better than flying!:cool:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Ha - I forget what the answer was!:D

Was it a secret?;)

Marco.

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No but it makes me sound like a wuss. I was in a couple of very bad collisions (as a passenger) in quick succession. I was fine both times, just minor injuries but the outcomes for the other people were not so good and it sort of put me off. Didn't fancy having the responsibility of something like that happening. Not bothered about travelling in cars, even at speed, but I won't drive them.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Lol you asked me that not so long ago in the mod room.

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Cool, I didn't know you had a mod room. You talk much about scooters?

Quite a lot, yeah.

Like Marco, I much prefer driving holidays to flying. My favourite hols were spent driving round Europe with no destination set in stone, apart from ending up at my brother's place in Agde (that's south of France). If I could afford it we would do many more parts of Europe, but it's just too pricey for us these days. Mty best ever holiday day was spent canoeing through the Tarn Gorges, stopping at one or two (or three) watering holes along the way.

Simple pleasures, and done to our timetable, not someone else's :)

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

Cool, I didn't know you had a mod room. You talk much about scooters?

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Marco is the token rocker though. :D

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Originally Posted by Macca

No but it makes me sound like a wuss. I was in a couple of very bad collisions (as a passenger) in quick succession. I was fine both times, just minor injuries but the outcomes for the other people were not so good and it sort of put me off. Didn't fancy having the responsibility of something like that happening. Not bothered about travelling in cars, even at speed, but I won't drive them.

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Not in my book, bro. As much as I love driving, and am a confident (and I think) skilled and careful driver, I *hate* being a passenger when someone else is at the helm, unless I trust their driving implicitly. Nothing worse than having an (inconsiderate) arse at the wheel, driving like an idiot, trying to 'impress' his mates, especially when he ultimately puts their lives in danger in the process!:nono:

So no, given the bad experience you had, you're not a wuss. If I'd went through what you did, I may well have ended up being the same.

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

Like Marco, I much prefer driving holidays to flying. My favourite hols were spent driving round Europe with no destination set in stone, apart from ending up at my brother's place in Agde (that's south of France). If I could afford it we would do many more parts of Europe, but it's just too pricey for us these days. Mty best ever holiday day was spent canoeing through the Tarn Gorges, stopping at one or two (or three) watering holes along the way.

Simple pleasures, and done to our timetable, not someone else's :)

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Yup, and that last bit sums it up... The first bit in bold is *always* how we do things. Nothing, or very little, is planned in advance - we simply act spontaneously, as the mood takes us.

For me, in order for a holiday to be enjoyable, it must be as relaxing and stress-free as possible, doing things at your own pace, well away from crowds, queues/excessive busyness, and with no need to watch the clock, or be a slave to anyone else's timetable. And using overcrowded major airports these days, anywhere, especially at peak times of the year, is anything but relaxing and stress-free!

Often when flying abroad, you need another holiday, to get over the holiday you've just had.... So fuck that pish - I'll take the car instead!:exactly:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Often when flying abroad, you need another holiday, to get over the holiday you've just had.... So fuck that pish - I'll take the car instead!:exactly:

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But you can't drive to the Caribbean :scratch::D

No, daftee, hence why I said "whenever possible";)

However, if I were going to the Caribbean (or indeed anywhere else further afield than Europe), I'd still hire a car when I got there, to tour around. Sorry, I'm not into just lazing around on beaches. I need to see and do lots of different things, and not be stuck in the one place (a resort) for 2 weeks, as I'd be bored stiff. And Del's the same.

Marco.

Different strokes I guess, mind you the last caribbean island we went to you could see all the sights in a day (Aruba) & cabs were dirt cheap so no need to drive.

Off to Barbados in September, bit more to explore there but doubt I'll get further than the nearest watch shop.

My mate uses a Virgin Atlantic Business card for purchasing all of his building material, and the air miles he clocks up funds his upgrade to first class (or business class or whatever) for him and his missus. In this way he tells me his holiday starts in the airport bar.

My flights are so cheap and crappy that my holiday starts when I've made a brew in the hotel room and am sitting on the balcony with it. Then I can spend the next seven days dreading the return flight :(

This is the way to do it. I have both a British Airways credit card and a Virgin Atlantic one. so have most destinations covered!

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Originally Posted by Roy S

Different strokes I guess, mind you the last caribbean island we went to you could see all the sights in a day (Aruba) & cabs were dirt cheap so no need to drive.

Off to Barbados in September, bit more to explore there but doubt I'll get further than the nearest watch shop.

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Yeah over there you can get a car with a driver at your disposal all day for 80 bucks, means you can stop off for a bevvy or two on your way around without worrying about it.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

Different strokes I guess, mind you the last caribbean island we went to you could see all the sights in a day (Aruba) & cabs were dirt cheap so no need to drive.

Off to Barbados in September, bit more to explore there but doubt I'll get further than the nearest watch shop.

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Defo different strokes. The taxi thing wouldn't appeal either, as that would still tie us down to relying on public transport, plus I'd love the sense of adventure/thrill of driving a car in a country I'd never been to before, and going off the beaten track! Exploring, for us, is essential.

We like to mix with the locals, and go into small towns/villages and get a REAL feel for the country and its people - especially the food! I'd be wanting to find some little restaurant, tucked down a side street, full of locals, serving the most amazing traditional Caribbean dishes, and most likely for buttons...

Rarely, when we're anywhere (apart from on city breaks for a long weekend) do we do the tourist thing, or for that matter go full board in hotels - always just B&B, so we can choose where we want to eat for our main meals, often somewhere we've discovered whilst out in the car.

Wherever tourists are, especially Brits [as the type you meet abroad tend to be nightmares], we'll go in the opposite direction!!:D

Enjoy Barbados, when it comes, mate. I'm sure you'll have a great time:cool:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

My mate uses a Virgin Atlantic Business card for purchasing all of his building material, and the air miles he clocks up funds his upgrade to first class (or business class or whatever) for him and his missus. In this way he tells me his holiday starts in the airport bar.

My flights are so cheap and crappy that my holiday starts when I've made a brew in the hotel room and am sitting on the balcony with it. Then I can spend the next seven days dreading the return flight :(

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Lol - I get a quick wash, then it's straight down to the hotel bar for a cold beer! Feck tea or coffee, especially in hot weather, and considering the shit quality stuff you'll find in most hotel rooms:spew:... I guess that Brits are interminable tea jennies:D After that, we'll go out exploring, presuming that there's something there to explore.

Never drink in airport bars either... That's a nightmare [pisshead behaviour], especially with having to go on a plane afterwards. You get dehydrated enough there without suffering from the effects of alcohol!:nono:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

This is the way to do it. I have both a British Airways credit card and a Virgin Atlantic one. so have most destinations covered!

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You obviously fly a lot. Before going to Austria two years ago, it was nearly 20 years since I'd been on a plane!

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Never drink in airport bars either... That's a nightmare [pisshead behaviour], especially with having to go on a plane afterwards. You get dehydrated enough there without suffering from the effects of alcohol!:nono:

Marco.

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What?! My holiday officially starts when I’ve dropped my bags, gone through security and am sat in a bar with my first pint in front of me, or a glass of champers if I’m in an airport lounge!

Although on the Munich/Ireland flights I mentioned earlier you can substitute coffee as even I can no longer face alcohol at 6am...

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Originally Posted by Marco

Lol - I get a quick wash, then it's straight down to the hotel bar for a cold beer! Feck tea or coffee, especially in hot weather, and considering the shit quality stuff you'll find in most hotel rooms:spew:... I guess that Brits are interminable tea jennies:D After that, we'll go out exploring, presuming that there's something there to explore.
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This, though - absolutely spot on!

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

What?! My holiday officially starts when I’ve dropped my bags, gone through security and am sat in a bar with my first pint in front of me, or a glass of champers if I’m in an airport lounge!

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Lol... Well, in that respect we're different:

a) I'm not a big drinker (alcohol isn't the be-all-and-end-all of my holiday), so am not 'desperate' for a pint, simply because I'm at an airport about to leave on a flight, and b) because the chances of getting a decent pint (of something I'm interested in drinking) at an airport bar are almost zero! Especially when I know what's still to come with all the stress and hassle of going through the same procedure again when arriving at my destination!

In that respect, I'm perfectly willing to wait a few hours, until I'm at the hotel, and can genuinely relax, then go to the bar and (hopefully) drink something foreign (local beer) that's a bit different from the usual shite sold back home!:D

Marco.

better being t-total :ner:

I know what you mean about most airport bars - the selection is usually dismal.

However, as I generally fly BA, I use Heathrow Terminal 5 a lot and they do have a far better selection of bars and eateries - for example, there is no McDonalds or other crappy burger places, but it does have a Fortnum and Mason champagne and seafood bar!

However, the ‘Pilots’ bar at the extreme right hand end of the terminal does a couple of cracking local IPAs, and is where I usually head first!

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Originally Posted by Marco

Defo different strokes. The taxi thing wouldn't appeal either, as that would still tie us down to relying on public transport, .

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No it's not. It's a car and a driver at your disposal for the entire day, it isn't public transport at all.

Well, isn't said taxi also available for others to use? If so, then by definition it's a form of 'public transport'!:ner:

In any case, I don't want anyone driving me around the place and taking all the fun out of it. *I* want to be the one driving, on holiday or at any other time. Even I could afford a chauffeur, at home, I still wouldn't want one, as I like being at the helm:cool:

You don't *get* that because you don't drive.

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

I know what you mean about most airport bars - the selection is usually dismal.

However, as I generally fly BA, I use Heathrow Terminal 5 a lot and they do have a far better selection of bars and eateries - for example, there is no McDonalds or other crappy burger places, but it does have a Fortnum and Mason champagne and seafood bar!

However, the ‘Pilots’ bar at the extreme right hand end of the terminal does a couple of cracking local IPAs, and is where I usually head first!

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Nice one, enjoy. We don't all live near London though, thank fuck, lol!:D

If I fly anywhere, it's preferably from Liverpool airport, as that's nearest, or Manchester, neither of which are renowned for serving 'fine ales' in the bars of their departure lounges.

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Well, isn't said taxi also available for others to use? If so, then it's a forum of 'public transport'!:ner:

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No, it's all yours for the whole day. You want to stop off for lunch for example, he will just wait around until your done and you want to set off again.

I can appreciate wanting to drive yourself around but if you went to the Caribbean you might change your mind about that. :) The driver knows where he is going and can offer advice about where to go and what to see. Plus if you drive yourself you're limited on being able to drink alcohol.

I understand where you're coming from, but it's still a form of public transport, simply because at some other time said taxi will be used to transport other people.

In any case, I've always been adventurous, so the (undoubted) 'challenges' of driving in a country like that would be entirely expected and all part of the fun. Del has relatives in St Lucia, so I'm well aware of the 'flaky' standards of driving (and roads) in these countries. Plus, paying for a driver would be an added cost, which I'd rather spend on other things.

I don't drink much, so sharing a bottle of wine with Del, over a meal, or having a couple of small beers, would very unlikely put me over the limit [I certainly wouldn't be drunk], depending on what that limit was, and in these countries if it's as heavily enforced as here.

Also, we like to walk a lot, so often if there are some decent places to go within walking distance, we'll leave the hired car at the hotel and walk to bars and restaurants.

Marco.

I still don't get the public transport thing. It's a private hire and it is exclusively yours for the day (or the week if you want). If you hire a car then that's transported other people in the past too but you wouldn't call it 'public transport'.

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Originally Posted by Macca

I still don't get the public transport thing. It's a private hire and it is exclusively yours for the day (or the week if you want). If you hire a car then that's transported other people in the past too but you wouldn't call it 'public transport'.

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agreed. its a hire car, with driver and often a guide. a great way to see a place. but expensive in most countries, also you dont know who and carrying what, or depositing what, has been in there before you.;)
That said, no-one os going to take their car to the indies etc.

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Originally Posted by struth

agreed. its a hire car, with driver and often a guide. a great way to see a place. but expensive in most countries, also you dont know who and carrying what, or depositing what, has been in there before you.;)
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True but that applies equally to the hire car. And the seat on the aeroplane, the cabin in the boat, chair in the restaurant, or the hotel room they stay in for that matter. If anyone's really bothered about that sort of thing then they are probably best just staying at home.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Defo different strokes. The taxi thing wouldn't appeal either, as that would still tie us down to relying on public transport, plus I'd love the sense of adventure/thrill of driving a car in a country I'd never been to before, and going off the beaten track! Exploring, for us, is essential.

We like to mix with the locals, and go into small towns/villages and get a REAL feel for the country and its people - especially the food! I'd be wanting to find some little restaurant, tucked down a side street, full of locals, serving the most amazing traditional Caribbean dishes, and most likely for buttons...

Rarely, when we're anywhere (apart from on city breaks for a long weekend) do we do the tourist thing, or for that matter go full board in hotels - always just B&B, so we can choose where we want to eat for our main meals, often somewhere we've discovered whilst out in the car.

Wherever tourists are, especially Brits [as the type you meet abroad tend to be nightmares], we'll go in the opposite direction!!:D

Enjoy Barbados, when it comes, mate. I'm sure you'll have a great time:cool:

Marco.

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Cheers Marco, looking forward to sampling the rum punch again.

As far as driving over there is concerned some of the roads I've travelled on can best be described as 'challenging' & not in an enjoyable way (when we visited Grenada I sometimes wondered if what we were on was actually a road).

There are steep hills with single-lane roads that are only partially paved, some of it reminded me of the Top Gear special when they travelled on the 'Death Road' in Bolivia, I can do without those kind of worries when I'm on what's supposed to be a relaxing holiday.

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Originally Posted by Macca

I still don't get the public transport thing. It's a private hire and it is exclusively yours for the day (or the week if you want). If you hire a car then that's transported other people in the past too but you wouldn't call it 'public transport'.

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Lol - the main point is, you're not in a private space (like you would be in your own car), but in the company and car of an unknown individual in a strange country. How do you know you can trust them? You're used to travelling alone, but I've got my wife to consider, and she wouldn't be comfortable with that.

And would the taxi (and driver) truly be at our beck and call 24/7?

We like doing things spontaneously, so if at, say, 9pm one evening, we suddenly decided to go out for a meal, in a restaurant in a town 10 miles away, how quickly would the driver be available to take us, and would he or she also be willing to sit there for hours, outside of wherever we were, until we were ready to return to the hotel? We wouldn't be interested in hanging around waiting for someone to come and collect us, and that includes during the day.

Also, you can't truly relax and be yourself when you're sat in a stranger's car.

Del and I like to have good laugh/chat together about all sorts of stuff, and we prefer doing that in private. Plus, only one person can sit in the front seat of a taxi, so the other is left alone on the back seat, where the view's not as good, and you're being bumped around more, and in those circumstances it would be awkward chatting with Del. None of that is a consideration when we're sat together in our own car.

It's just not something we're into mate, or would consider. When on holiday, we like being in control and as self-sufficient as possible. The taxi thing obviously works for you though, so that's cool:cool:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

Cheers Marco, looking forward to sampling the rum punch again.

As far as driving over there is concerned some of the roads I've travelled on can best be described as 'challenging' & not in an enjoyable way (when we visited Grenada I sometimes wondered if what we were on was actually a road).

There are steep hills with single-lane roads that are only partially paved, some of it reminded me of the Top Gear special when they travelled on the 'Death Road' in Bolivia, I can do without those kind of worries when I'm on what's supposed to be a relaxing holiday.

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Yup, I totally get that. For us though (me in particular), those "worries" are all part of the fun and adventure - and sometimes you can have some wonderful experiences in the process, by being willing to wander!:)

Marco.

There are other reasons I don’t drive over there [emoji4]

Cape Verde

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7f072a3ed5.jpg

Grenada

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...900ffb0c94.jpg

Ha - love it!:lol:

We're not big into boozing, though. Our alcohol intake acts pretty much as an accompaniment of food, and is consumed strictly in moderation. Occasionally, we'll have a 'night cap' in the hotel bar, before going to bed, but that's it. If we were different, having a car would be no use!:)

Marco.

I'm still not sure what it was I drank in Cape Verde, I asked for a glass of what the locals drink and the lady produced a labelless plastic bottle from a cupboard. I've never tasted it but I'm guessing it was their version of potcheen, it was quite powerful & I was soppy as a sack for a few hours after drinking it.

Today I wanted to get my old cassette player up and running after I fitted a new set of belts about 9 months ago.
This was to record a few cassettes for the cassette radio I fixed into my work tractor because the radio /cd in it was goosed !!

I am not usually in the habit of going backwards but as I had the unit sat on my workshop shelf ,I thought it would be fun! :)

So a couple of hrs later and I have recorded a C 90 cassette ( a new one ) with War of the Worlds :rolleyes:

Feeling like the cat that got etc ,I inserted said cassette in player for it to not drive/function (probably a drive belt again Lol):doh:

Well ,at least I have a good functioning radio for my Highway Radio to work correctly !! Planet Rock rules :eyebrows:
and a cassette thats works !! I just need to use the thing now !

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Originally Posted by Macca

I still don't get the public transport thing. It's a private hire and it is exclusively yours for the day (or the week if you want). If you hire a car then that's transported other people in the past too but you wouldn't call it 'public transport'.

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Completely agree. If your driver kept stopping to pick up and drop off other fares, I would call it "public".

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Originally Posted by Marco

Lol - the main point is, you're not in a private space (like you would be in your own car), but in the company and car of an unknown individual in a strange country. How do you know you can trust them? You're used to travelling alone, but I've got my wife to consider, and she wouldn't be comfortable with that.

And would the taxi (and driver) truly be at our beck and call 24/7?

We like doing things spontaneously, so if at, say, 9pm one evening, we suddenly decided that we wanted to drive out somewhere for a meal, how quickly would the driver be available to take us, and would he or she also be willing to sit there for hours, outside wherever we were, until we were ready to go back? We don't want to be hanging around waiting for someone to come and collect us, and that includes during the day.

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Yes you can do all that, walk out the hotel entrance and you've got a bloke right there at your disposal, day or night. They might be strangers to begin with but not after a while. As long as you treat them like a human being and not a servant of course. They're not into that at all for obvious reasons.

I don't know about the French islands, they can be quite dangerous I'm told but go to one of them that used to be British you'll have no problems. Maybe not Jamaica though, not been there.

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Originally Posted by Oddball

Today I wanted to get my old cassette player up and running after I fitted a new set of belts about 9 months ago.
This was to record a few cassettes for the cassette radio I fixed into my work tractor because the radio /cd in it was goosed !!

I am not usually in the habit of going backwards but as I had the unit sat on my workshop shelf ,I thought it would be fun! :)

So a couple of hrs later and I have recorded a C 90 cassette ( a new one ) with War of the Worlds :rolleyes:

Feeling like the cat that got etc ,I inserted said cassette in player for it to not drive/function (probably a drive belt again Lol):doh:

Well ,at least I have a good functioning radio for my Highway Radio to work correctly !! Planet Rock rules :eyebrows:
and a cassette thats works !! I just need to use the thing now !

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"It's not just rock, it's Planet Rock". Great station, great music, find the "Guess the year a bit challenging though.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Yes you can do all that, walk out the hotel entrance and you've got a bloke right there at your disposal, day or night.

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That's right. It seemed you could go anywhere on Aruba for ten bucks

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Originally Posted by Macca

Yes you can do all that, walk out the hotel entrance and you've got a bloke right there at your disposal, day or night. They might be strangers to begin with but not after a while. As long as you treat them like a human being and not a servant of course. They're not into that at all for obvious reasons.

I don't know about the French islands, they can be quite dangerous I'm told but go to one of them that used to be British you'll have no problems. Maybe not Jamaica though, not been there.

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Fair enough, but that doesn't negate the other (serious to us, as outlined) issues of using a taxi, in the way you describe. The bottom line is that we're just not really the 'taxi type', and I enjoy driving too much (and exploring areas on my own with Del), especially abroad on unknown territory!:)

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

I asked for a glass of what the locals drink and the lady produced a labelless plastic bottle from a cupboard.

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Was it yellowy-green in colour and tasted of piss? If so, you've consumed the contents of her bedpan!:lol::D

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

That's right. It seemed you could go anywhere on Aruba for ten bucks

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On St Kitts I was chatting to the bloke as we were going along and mentioned that I liked the raw sugar cane. So he stops the car, pulls this comedy size machete out from under his seat, I mean the blade must have been 3 foot long, and goes off into the field, comes back with some cane for me.


I thought he was about 50 years old from how he looked and moved, turned out he was 78.

Aye, that's what happens when you've led a healthy and happy life, devoid of modern day stress, feel contented even though you don't have much, and live somewhere completely divorced from the 'rat race'!;)

There's a lot to be said for the simple life, and living 'off grid'....

Marco.

I’m in Porto, and it’s an awesome city. Love Portugal.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Was it yellowy-green in colour and tasted of piss? If so, you've consumed the contents of her bedpan!:lol::D

Marco.

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No, it was perfectly clear but it would probably have been less risky drinking urine than whatever was in this rocket fuel.

Sound a bit similar to 'Mao Tai' - a clear oily spirit I drank in China. Near lethal in its effect.

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Originally Posted by Macca

On St Kitts I was chatting to the bloke as we were going along and mentioned that I liked the raw sugar cane. So he stops the car, pulls this comedy size machete out from under his seat, I mean the blade must have been 3 foot long, and goes off into the field, comes back with some cane for me.


I thought he was about 50 years old from how he looked and moved, turned out he was 78.

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Now that's what I call going off the beaten track, and meeting ordinary locals. Even when the ordinary local goes off the beaten track with a giant machete.

There have been cases of tourists exploring "off the beaten track", accidentally finding themselves in a badass area and coming to grief. And if you're in a hire car you might as well have big sign on it saying "we're tourists and we're lost". I personally would feel safer travelling in the company of someone with a bit of local knowledge.