Old Threads (1 Viewer)

[Splunk]

Its sort of strange going back over old threads and seeing all those posts 10 years ago. Stuff like the death of Christopher Reeve, The Six Feet Under thread, Chess Joke and all those posters that I never heard of have probably got married, settled down and had children, some are probably in top jobs, some are probably still unemployed ,some are probably dead. Weird isn't it? Scary how quick everything seems to be moving....

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Where do you plan on being in ten years time?

 

[Splunk]

Where do you plan on being in ten years time?

I hate those questions but by 2024, I have a dream of living in Costa Rica for six months at least and then doing tour of Panama and Uruguay over the following six months.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Why Costa Rica?

 

[Splunk]

Why Costa Rica?

I got talking to this character in my pub called Jack, a real bohemian old timer, free spirit, never married but has traveled around the World all his life. Looks bit like Ronny Drew with the beard and likes his whiskey and cigars. He said of the countries he has been to (and that would be all) Costa Rica was the closest to paradise not only for its beauty but for its way of life. That bit of info made a lasting impression on me and I promised him that I would go and check it out within the next 10 years. I always keep my promises btw. I have become obsessed and have researched and read every thing I can find on the country. I am already deeply in love with the place and travelled there in my head on a regular basis in between the odd prod from a work colleague. It regularly gets the highest praise on different travel discussion sites, in fact I have yet to read a single negative view point on the place. I will be going!

 

[Splunk]

 

[GO]

I like your attitude Splunky!

DO IT!

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Who died?

 

[nooleen]

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

I got talking to this character in my pub called Jack, a real bohemian old timer, free spirit, never married but has traveled around the World all his life. Looks bit like Ronny Drew with the beard and likes his whiskey and cigars. He said of the countries he has been to (and that would be all) Costa Rica was the closest to paradise not only for its beauty but for its way of life. That bit of info made a lasting impression on me and I promised him that I would go and check it out within the next 10 years. I always keep my promises btw. I have become obsessed and have researched and read every thing I can find on the country. I am already deeply in love with the place and travelled there in my head on a regular basis in between the odd prod from a work colleague. It regularly gets the highest praise on different travel discussion sites, in fact I have yet to read a single negative view point on the place. I will be going!

Good attitude, hope it works out for you. Watch out for the insects though

 

[Splunk]

Good attitude, hope it works out for you. Watch out for the insects though

Fucking hell that's a mad looking yoke altogether.

 

[GO]

Old threads...they're all I wear

 

[hugh]

Costa Rica is number 1 on my fantasy travel list also.

 

[plug]

I hate those questions but by 2024, I have a dream of living in Costa Rica for six months at least and then doing tour of Panama and Uruguay over the following six months.

If you go there you should definitely travel north and visit Guatemala as well, which is an amazing country.

There's a lot to admire about Costa Rica: a small country with no army, the highest biodiversity on the planet and what seems to be a pretty decent attitude towards conservation etc.

And it's supposed to be pretty chilled out (if a tad expensive compared to some of its neighbours). I never made it there unfortunately, was very close to the border at one point. Some day!

 

[Splunk]

If you go there you should definitely travel north and visit Guatemala as well, which is an amazing country.

There's a lot to admire about Costa Rica: a small country with no army, the highest biodiversity on the planet and what seems to be a pretty decent attitude towards conservation etc.

And it's supposed to be pretty chilled out (if a tad expensive compared to some of its neighbours). I never made it there unfortunately, was very close to the border at one point. Some day!

Thanks for the heads up, Guatemala will be part of my itinerary when I go. Thanks m8

 

[Cormcolash]

I've a friend who has been over the Guatemala a couple of times doing like volunteer conservationy type shit, and she loves the place

 

[Lili Marlene]

I had a few friends from Guatemala in college. Their advice for visiting was along these lines:
"If you are a tourist you are ok. If you are there for more than 6 months there is a 100% chance you be kidnapped and held for ransom. Our country is beautiful and you would love it but you have to be clear that you are going home."

 

[plug]

Hmm. I suspect these people are on the (very thin) rich end of Guatemalan society - my experience of meeting wealthy Guatemalans is that they are very paranoid about their security. And, to a degree this is warranted - it is a dangerous and lawless country in places, there are very definite rules of thumb about personal safety (don't get buses in the evening, don't go wandering off alone in certain places). I even met one guy who had a personal bodyguard.

That said, it sounds like there was at least 95% hyperbole in that statement. Or maybe not? Many ex-pats live and work there for years without any trouble. Depends on where you live, and maybe who you are - I suspect the families of wealthy Guatemalans are far more likely targets for kidnappings etc.

There's a lot of scaremongering about that part of the world - I remember being told I'd be kidnapped in Mexico a few times. Total nonsense. You'd really want to put yourself into a very abject or unlucky situation to find yourself in any sort of trouble greater than petty crime. Like everywhere, basic common sense rules. You'd be surprised just how safe and relaxed a lot of places are in that part of the world. Beyond petty crime, the overwhelming majority of tourists and ex-pats live there with no negative experience.

That said, I did feel very strongly like I was being plámásed into a possible abduction scenario in Belize - but Belize is pretty sketchy.

TL;DR: wouldn't let scary stories put you off - especially if you are a tourist

 

[Lili Marlene]

These lads were from some dodgy rural area, they said it was dangerous for foreigners because a non-Guatemalan would stick out like a sore thumb. I got the impression they were fairly loaded though. I know fuck all about south america so i'll believe anything.

 

[Lili Marlene]

For example I didn't realise that Central America (Spanish: América Central or Centroamérica) is the central geographicregion of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North Americancontinent, which connects with South America on the southeast

and Guatemala isn't even in South America.