The Travel Thread

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
even the dudes?

The ladies in our world cup group were quite pleased with the Swedish men as well.

But I won't post a picture of that.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
What do you do that you need to own a tailored tux? Do you show dogs in dog shows?

I haven't worn a tux since junior prom 25 years ago.

i've been to 2 or 3 weddings in the past few years where a tux would have been appropriate, and i go to at least 2 formals/black ties per year. i typically have to rent at least one tuxedo a year. not only would a custom tux look & fit better, but it would cost less than two rentals (if i had it made in tailand, india, etc). i regret not having on made during my travels. next time i'm in that part of the world, i'm definitely getting fitted for one (along with a regular suit or two).

You're assuming you're never going to gain or lose any weight?

Originally posted by sweetcell:

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
What do you do that you need to own a tailored tux? Do you show dogs in dog shows?

I haven't worn a tux since junior prom 25 years ago.

i've been to 2 or 3 weddings in the past few years where a tux would have been appropriate, and i go to at least 2 formals/black ties per year. i typically have to rent at least one tuxedo a year. not only would a custom tux look & fit better, but it would cost less than two rentals (if i had it made in tailand, india, etc). i regret not having on made during my travels. next time i'm in that part of the world, i'm definitely getting fitted for one (along with a regular suit or two).

While I've never been overseas I've seen over 90% of the US states, and if you've never done the around the US trip (Glacier Park, Yellowstone, Golden Gate Bridge, Space Needle, Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, etc etc etc) you -really- should do that. I've got tons of fond memories.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
You're assuming you're never going to gain or lose any weight?

yes, i admit that is an assumption - albeit one founded on precedent. i can still wear suits i bought several years ago, weight fluctuations haven't been an issue so far.

I'm wearing a suit today that I bought in 1994

By the way, how in the world does this thread (or your trip?) honor Memorial Day? Are you planning on visiting all the countries where US soldiers have died while trying to conquer the world?

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
in honor of memorial day…

i'm looking to take a 4+ week trip in august/september/october, the world is my oyster, where would you go?

we're thinking about southern south america, aus/nz, se asia, india (i'm guessing the latter two would be better in sept/oct as opposed to august) … but really open to anything … we were also thinking about breaking this up into mini-trips, with people in my group hopping on and off at different points

sub-question, has anyone ever gone on a GAP Adventures trip?

Originally posted by brennser:
I'm wearing a suit today that I bought in 1994

you fashion plate, you!

Originally posted by brennser:
I'm wearing a suit today that I bought in 1994

I still fit into the suit I graduated high school in, but I don't wear it because it's double breasted and well, who wears a double breasted suit in 2008?

Originally posted by brennser:
I'm wearing a suit today that I bought in 1994

And I'm digging those shoulder pads in a BIG way! :)

Originally posted by chaz:

Originally posted by brennser:
I'm wearing a suit today that I bought in 1994

And I'm digging those shoulder pads in a BIG way! :)

awww, thanks guys!!

<img src="http://www.hooplife.ca/raptorshq/upload/articles/Jalen_Rose_Draft1.jpg" alt=" - " />

Is your wife cool with that?

Originally posted by brennser:
I'm wearing underwear today that I bought in 1994

for those who care, we're going to indonesia!

send me a PM if you have any tips for java, bali, lombok, and the gili islands … thanks!

For music, you must go to Bandung which is in West Java. Dr. Doom will back me up on that. Maybe he'll even share some details about the cool party I set him up with. Lots of cool bands in Bandung.

bali is absolutely amazing. one of the most beautiful and interesting places i've visited in all my travels. ubud is a fun place to spend a few days, be sure to catch a performance of ketchak. it's also a good central base for day trips - i paid $15 for an all-day tour of temples (the required sarong will run you another $4-5). if you have the time, check out the northern beaches for one of my definitions of paradise. the beaches in the south are nice too but it's also the most built-up/touristy area. north side is much quieter. kuta is good for shopping, otherwise not much to see.

awesome, i'm really excited … we'll be in seminyak (just north of kuta) for a few days when we first get in, splurged on a villa to hole up and recover from jet lag … then heading to java, right now only planning on using yogyakarta as our base, but i'll definitely look into bandung (thanks jag!) … after that skipping over bali to go to lombok and the Gili Islands, which i'm REALLY excited about

then finishing off the trip with a long stay in ubud

we were thinking about going to lovina in the north for a couple of nights, do you think it's worth it to cut our stay in ubud short for that?

villa in seminyak: should be fun, it'll be a tropical beach-house party.

gili & lombok make me jealous. never made it over, but they do indeed sound fabulous. very different culturally than bali. if anyone does scuba, those are definitely world-class spots to do it.

yes, i'd be willing to trade some ubud in exchange for lovina, but then again i'm a beach person. ubud has a lot more to do (tons of cultural stuff: performances, tours of temples and ruins, various classes, shopping, etc), lovina is paradise on the sand. good mix to do both.

so, here's a travel-related question for y'all: thanks to recent developments, i'll be spending labor day week in the netherlands. what's the most efficient way to get euros? exchange cash here? use credit cards? ATMs?

sucks enough that the dollar is so week, would rather not waste additional percentage on high exchange commissions/fees.

traveler's checks are a real pain in the ass.
stick with atms. i don't think there are processing fees on them…unless they've been charging me without a warning. i've had some problems with a lot of banks just not working with my debit card. it's not a big deal because it works with the type i see the most often.

but also, i think i'm going to be in amsterdam around labor day weekend. if you find yourself in the city, we should get some space cake.

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
stick with atms. i don't think there are processing fees on them…unless they've been charging me without a warning.

most banks will charge you an "international transaction fee" of around 2 to 3%. they're charged separately from the withdrawal amount - check your bank statement. ATMs have been my most common method of getting cash overseas. i was wondering if there was a better/cheaper way.

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
but also, i think i'm going to be in amsterdam around labor day weekend. if you find yourself in the city, we should get some space cake.

cool, let's see what we can set up… will PM you. will probably be in the hague over labor day weekend and return to a'dam the following weekend.