The tourism experience

[Retroboy]

What do you think of the experiences near to or far from you that cater to tourists? From the chintzy shoddy antique-filled museums found in little towns of 1000 people, to the massive monoliths and people-swarmed amusement parks that are advertised nationally and make you wear mouse ears or get escorted around by bald creepy old dancing men.

Do you avoid 'em, pursue 'em, or never had an occasion to experience 'em? (The tourist locations, not the creepy old men...)

And how well do you know the "tourist activities" that are available in your place of residence - do you / have you done the same things that tourists do in your own area of residence?

reason for the question

Had a little retrominivacation this week, taking the tykes to "Anne of Green Gables" land in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Although it's extremely tourist-trappy, we avoided most of the souvenir crap and shoddy games, and had great fun doing the trails in the provincial parks and spending the day at the Cavendish beach. But we breathed a huge sigh of relief that we'd booked during the off-season, because we DO NOT LIKE crowds - they make Retrospouse and me hot, short-tempered, and irritable.

Was wondering if others felt the same...

-- Retro

[ionfish]

I hate bloody tourists. They walk too slowly and tend to accrete in huge clumps that take over the pavement. Clearly they've never heard of walking in single file, or indeed in any formation that doesn't block the faster-moving natives (me). London is, unfortunately, a tourist trap. In fact, that's probably the primary reason that most Londoners are complete bastards.

[Shuma]

So London is a scary place , Fortunately i have never seen a bunch of tourists where i live, althoug i have seen them in other places.

[Chris]

I hate bloody tourists. They walk too slowly and tend to accrete in huge clumps that take over the pavement. Clearly they've never heard of walking in single file, or indeed in any formation that doesn't block the faster-moving natives (me). London is, unfortunately, a tourist trap. In fact, that's probably the primary reason that most Londoners are complete bastards.

Agreed, I'm not really a Londoner myself but whenever I'm in town I constantly find myself dodging back packers who just sort of amble along the pavement, randomly stopping to stare up at road signs then continuing on their quest. For god sake, if you don't know where you are STOP and consult a MAP.

[SquidDNA]

http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=29187

Damn I can remember the most irrelavent shit.


I've found that people in Chicago tend to walk around in clumps because they're inconsiderate assholes, not tourists. Tourists tend to clump up as a group for safety's sake, unfortunately this is a hassle for all the people who happen to live there.

Last time I went sightseeing it was to the San Diego zoo. Clearly some sites are meant for this kind of behavior. Others, like streets, are not.

[Vaarok]

I live next to Cooperstown NY. Baseball hall of fame. All summer there's RVs and screaming brats and their pushy parents at numerous baseball summer camps and similar crap. It's horrible. Especially when they get lost down our side road.

[IcecreamLtDan]

Squiddy, in the time I spent in Chicago and Rantoul Illinois, I just assumed everyone walked around in large clumps of people to keep warm. You know, shared bodily warmth and all.

Anyways, I have volunteered over the years in various museums and such so I have a different view of tourists, they keep the places open. At the moment I spend my time here, http://www.carolinasaviation.org/ and generally find that the people who show up are friendly and genuinely interested in the goings on.

Personally, the wife and I love to travel to them. As a matter of fact we are leaving in the morning to head to Morehead City and the outer banks of North Carolina. Going to visit Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the museums and such in the area.

[Rafta]

My university lies on a nexus of touristic invasion spots in Vienna, so I have a hard time avoiding tourists and as long as they don't behave wrong (visiting McDonalds and Starbucks while being on a Vienna trip is a crime in my eyes) I don't care about them.
I like to see that my hometown is so beautiful that it attracts people from all around the world.
Only thing I hate are cultural ignorant tourists who assume everybody speaks their language and exists to serve them on their sightseeing crusade.

Ionfish, I'll join those annoying tourists this summer by visiting London and only god knows how slowly I will walk!

[ÜberJumper]

Italy seemed entirely tourist based, and I loved it. Venice (in october) is perhaps my second favourite city in the world (after Vancouver). Loved Pompeii as well.

New York was a wonderful experience also, although freakin' HOT when we were there. I've never felt so alive as I did in New York.

[Noir]

New York was a wonderful experience also, although freakin' HOT when we were there. I've never felt so alive as I did in New York.

Argh, it was in the high 80s/low 90s ALL DAY here, with very little wind.

[The Collector]

Been like that in Cali too. Tourists, eat 100 degree temperatures in the Inland Empire!

As for tourism, I find myself detesting a lot of the prepackaged consumer experience. I think I'd rather just go out for the sake of being out, rather than partaking in your packaging and expensive "experience". But that ain't tourism...something else entirely.

You probably mean tourism like the tamed version of exploring new places. Nope, haven't done that in a while.

[n0z3k1ll3r]

I'm fortunate here, I live in Adelaide. People don't come to Adelaide, they go away from it.

[JAL-18]

My nearest major tourist attraction is the Mall of America, and usually it's more the size of the mall itself rather then the people that daunts me about it. That and the exorbitantly high prices. (Oh yeah, and also how they changed Camp Snoopy to "The Park at MOA." WTF, most dumbass name ever.)

[Locutus]

They walk too slowly and tend to accrete in huge clumps that take over the pavement.

Never been to London myself, but I am given to understand that in general, streets in Europe are rather narrow, correct? This might explain why some (American at least) tourists might not walk in formation: unless they've lived in NYC or something, the concept may have never even occured to them.

/me writes a mental note to make the acquintance of a native should he ever find himself in London.

Oh yeah, and also how they changed Camp Snoopy to "The Park at MOA."

Camp Snoopy was awesome! I used to love that place when we went to Minnesota to visit family, why give it a silly name like that?

As for myself, I've never really had the oppurtunity to play tourist much, except for a trip to D.C. where I will admit I walked around gawking at everything. (Who wouldn't though in the Smithsian?)

Also agree with The Collector that pre-packaged tourism is something to be avoided. The whole point is to experience a different environment on its own terms, something that you simply can't do if you have someone spoon-feeding you every experience.

[General Blaze]

I'm fortunate here, I live in Adelaide. People don't come to Adelaide, they go away from it.

I guess me and my family visiting Adelaide in 2002 don't count eh?

[JAL-18]

They apperantly lost the Peanuts rights in January. No one I've met likes the new name. Several of my friends work there, and I remember they all wore their Snoopy shirts on the last day before it had that "temporary" name applied. The charm of it is dead now.

[Paladin]

Last time I went sightseeing it was to the San Diego zoo.

Interesting coincidence... I just got back from there (Well, we did stop to have dinner with my dad since it's father's day and we happened to be passing near him). I just love the zoo... They have my favorite animal, the Red Panda (Also known as the firefox )

Tourists, eat 100 degree temperatures in the Inland Empire!

Tourists go to the Inland Empire? On purpose?

[Raver]

I live in the Blue mountains, near the 3 sisters.
Australian Landmark + Asian Tourists + 6 foot Rugby prop and his friends.....it doesnt work out well....

[Homdax]

When I was in Vancouver I wore a T-Shirt : I'm a bloody tourist spending my money here.

Since I grew up in a tourist area, the main thing is to be recognized as a local by the working population, somehow, to avoid getting tourist prices on my beer. I have also learned how to avoid typical tourist behaviour, even when I am a tourist.

Going to London soon, Ion. I bet you wont spot me in Your way. :blow:

[n0z3k1ll3r]

I guess me and my family visiting Adelaide in 2002 don't count eh?

You keep going away again, so my point stands

[Raver]

Adelaide to the rest of the Australian cities is like New Zealand is to Australia, and/or Canada is to the USA.

[Scribble]

Italy is amazing; most beautaful place I've ever been to, (Milans fucking appaling though) but the Italians (well, their polititions) seem determined to ruin it by plonking unplanned and generally foul buildings everywhere. Though I was much more fond of the less touristy places.

Never been to London myself, but I am given to understand that in general, streets in Europe are rather narrow, correct?

That and Americans being much wider than your average European.. :devil:

[Retroboy]

You probably mean tourism like the tamed version of exploring new places.

Pretty much - but only because those sorts of things appeal to the "average" tourist. I don't consider a survival expert or a gifted and dedicated ropeless rock climber to be a tourist.

An example: the whole Anne of Green Gables experience is very popular in Japan. There are road signs and spots in Prince Edward Island with Japanese translations because, every summer, hordes of Japanese tourists fly halfway around the world to experience the spot, and many get married at the location - something about the story and location apparently appeals greatly to them. Getting mixed in with a busload of loud Japanese tourists was quite the experience when we stopped at the border travel information area to pick up a map. If you GoogleEarth-ed the place in real-time, I'm sure the centre would have looked like a swarm of whirligig beetles floating on the edge of a pond.

Instant headache for me - I said quietly to RetroSpouse "...run!".

-- Retro

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I mainly object to prepackaged 'experiences', I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about. Unfortunately common in major tourist destinations. They can sometimes be entertaining when they offer something rare, such as a ride on a submarine. But mostly they feel stale. That said, people should probably visit a theme park once or twice in their life.

To date my favorite tourist activities are probably visiting national parks and whitewater rafting. Although I don't know if that last counts as tourism.

[Alliance]

Our area of israel is a great tourist trap, but its damn hard to navigate, so I've made a hobby out of giving tourist directions to places like the sewage ponds and to barren fields instead of the mall or the zoo.

I remember stumbling across some tourists stuck in a bog once, and when they finaly got out, I directed them to the most shoddy mechanic in the valley, claiming he was the cheapest, most reliable friend I have. a few days later I had a chat with the mech and he said he made a grand off fixing trivial stuff on their car.

so yeah, I guess you could say Im a bastard towards tourists that get lost inside/near my kibutz.

[Da_Fish]

A good number of places in Limerick are tourist traps. The treaty stone a a friggin rock which you occasionally see tourists take millions of photo's of. You don't really notice tourism here as most of the tourist sites are A) on the west coast of Ireland or B) in Dublin.

The only places I've ever been to were France and Spain. I hated them both. They're just too hot for my taste and evey tourist there is some football loving hooligan with a beer belly. Also the people down there are very arrogant. I'd love to got somewhere north of my position of Latitiude, like Scotland or Scandinavia. At least it's cold there.

[Homdax]

We could trade homes for a few weeks? Me wanna go to Ireland!

[Nurizeko]

because we DO NOT LIKE crowds - they make Retrospouse and me hot, short-tempered, and irritable.

Same with me, I managed to survive Tokyo Disneyland.

Whats worse then big crowds is big crowds with a substantial percentage made up of little kids....I have nothing against kids or parents, but I cant stand snivling little brats in huge groups swarming around me, the cutest little face and innocent smile wont save you from my contempt if you make up the huge horde of darkness that is grumpy whingey crying bratty punk kids of the young variety who dont want to be in this situation anymore then me, much like how I hate the anxious yapping of dogs, I cant stand that, I can live with being barked at, but that anxious yap just drives a nail right through my head into the annoyance part of my brain.

I like a reasonable amount of people and real places of interest or fun, i dont believe in the make-believe fun that is places like Disneyland, and the food they serve is s***.

The rides are boring, mediocre, and yeah, the last straw was my girlfriend made me wear those goddam Mickey ears.

In Japan Disneyland is basically one of the "must do" date-spots for couples, but being an uptight westerner who clings to things like a certain standard of maturity stubbornly, I felt like i was in a Kiddy-park, exactly as Disneyland is in the west.

And why do they always call these kind of vacations "family"?, its kiddy, why cant they just say "hey, bring your kids to this kiddy-park, you wont have fun, but then why would you? your doing this purely for the benefit of your children, a noble sacrifice, but we wont pretend to assume you appriciate the finer details of Pooh's adventure into the magical woods of lala ride"?.

My type of vacation involves nature, or history, seems a bit lame for a 20 year old but I enjoy forest walks, hill-walking, just exploring a new place really, visitting castles and all that.

So yeah, Disneyland + Large crowd on a hot day with half that number whingey kids and that is pretty much how I imagine hell.

I hate bloody tourists. They walk too slowly and tend to accrete in huge clumps that take over the pavement. Clearly they've never heard of walking in single file, or indeed in any formation that doesn't block the faster-moving natives (me). London is, unfortunately, a tourist trap. In fact, that's probably the primary reason that most Londoners are complete bastards.

Jesus i thought that was just a mean northerner stereotype of Londoners, you guys arent really that grumpy and self-isolationist are you?.

Londons nice enough, at least theres real things to see other then Mickey-mouse in a new costume...


Aberdeen doesnt have anywhere the level of tourists of a really big famous city so thats nice.

I enjoyed my stay in Tokyo, for a few months, totaly the opposite from my home-town, loved it, you never go hungry in Tokyo aslong as you got an income, because theres resturaunts and carry-outs everywhere.

I was taken to a nice small rural shrine/temple place on the outskirts of tokyo by my girlfriends family. beautiful place, much better then the Asakusa temple down-town, if only because it wasnt crowded and surrounded by massive urbanization on all sides.

And its where i first descovered the awsomeness of Yakisoba.

Also, sorry to dissapoint most folk, but the Japanese considor France, the French, and all their stuff the height of western civilization.
Its so easy to spot other tourists in Japan to, their either big and blonde and standing out, or loud and/or wide.
I remember in a shop with my girlfriendl i had just found some Scottish Whiskey and other foodstuffs from home, pretty chuffed, then all of a sudden i heard this loud annoying sound, it was a group of Canadians or Americans, and the Japanese nearby just looked at me as if I was suddenly going to behave like them....pretty embarrassing.

I agree to, i dont like tourists that go somewhere but have no real interest in the place, if you dont care about the culture or the place or genuine interest in exploring, then why go? if you go merely for a bit of sunshine, go to Ibiza or something.

British are notorious for going somewhere but expecting a plate of chips (fries) and an english speaking population that takes £.



My only other vacations have either been in the UK, Euro-disney, or Malta and Teneriffe.

Liked Teneriffe, the north of the island was just like, totaly different, all green and stuff, and when the fog rolled in it was pretty cool, they have this salty potato's dish thing, not bad.

Impressive coastline and yeah, really loved it for some reason....wasnt a big fan of Malta, i dunno, it just seemed a pointless little couple of rocks in the middle of the Med.

I agree I'm not a big fan of those package holidays, there okay for people going on holiday out of bordom, with little imagination, or simply not interested in anything but entertainment, but i like exploring and finding things myself and just generally, finding out about the real place rather then a holiday filtered one, from inside the hotel compound.

At least it'd cold there.

Tell me about it, I love the cold, I hate summer or going south because it ends up i cant sleep well because the bedroom is too goddamn warm.

Also I'de love to the see the fjords? (havnt written that name like, ever) of norway, and stuff.

My vacations will either be far away in asia somewhere (I'de love to visit Indonesiaor south-east asia, infact all of asia) or elsewhere, just avoiding the Med coast of Europe.

The south of France is probably becomming more English then England these-days, what with all these English folk buying property and homes there.

I wouldnt mind visitting Hawaii, and New Zealand seems a good place to explore, and I just HAVE to see Washington D.C., i would never forgive myself if I never visitted the heart of America.

My old man wants to visit Croatia, i wouldnt mind joining him, i wouldnt mind seeing Istanbul myself.

Man if i had the time and means, I'de explore everywhere.

[jetfx]

Am itinerary for a trip of mine would include alot of historic and nature sites. I'll visit major tourist destinations if they are interesting to me, but I also like to explore and see what I can find that isn't so big on the destination list. Mainly I want to see everything in Europe. But I don't have the money or the time to go just yet.

My summer job is in the tourist industry. I work in the little local museum as the summer student, and this is my second summer doing it. Since we are just a local musuem, we don't see any great numbers of tourists, and those who do stop are at least interested in seeing the local histories and cultures. So I haven't had any crazy tourists tearing a strip out of me because the kids are cranky and they can't find their hotel.

[Aussiemoo]

As an expatriate living in China, i know what it's like to consider yourself a local when everyone else considers you a foreigner. For some reason, there seems to be nothing that aggravates me more than seeing Western tourists when I am some place in Shanghai. It's possibly because I know all their misconceptions, and they are the reason i get hassled by beggars and DVD salesmen and watch salesmen and get a 500% markup on any price as soon as I walk into a shop. Tourist traps in China are exactly that, I went on a domestic trip to Harbin, which is in the far north of china, and famed for it's low temperatures. we went out to this kind of fair thing that they had on a frozen lake. In our huge northface/polartec jackets we must have looked like sacks of money walking around there to the locals, everyone wanted a piece of us. I actually was phsically hoisted off my feet, kicking and struggling onto the back of some frozen horse before slipping right back off it and onto the ice. While i doubt most people will have this done to them, it really underlines the attitude towards foreign tourists as marks rather than people to share your culture with.
My best tourist experience was visiting Israel a couple of years ago. It's just so amazing that so much of western civilization is based around this little territory. Also being a hater of crowds, i found the lack of people amazing. Instead of planning a touring day around peak times and line waiting, my family and I could stroll around Jerusalem going to places at will, "oh, look, that's the Church of the Holy Sepulcre, want to pop in there and take a look?". The security was more interesting than threatening, but with my dad looking thoroughly American Jewish tourist we didn't get many hold-ups. It was probably the only trip in my life where I've wanted there to be more people there, because it just seemed a shame to see all these deserted shops and empty relics.

[Nurizeko]

It's just so amazing that so much of western civilization is based around this little territory.

Correction, its amazing so much western politics is based around that little territory.

Apparently theres a good few folk who when they visit Jarusalem, have this religious psycho doohicky.

I'de love to visit China but I can emagine being treated like a mobile bank.

It would probably feel like the constant charity appeals on TV X10 and slightly louder and un-avoidable.

[Alliance]

Its called jerusalem syndrome nuri, and its some freaky thing that makes catholics(j/k) theink they're jesus. I've seen a few of them, and they all shout about the coming of the apocalypse and the messiah already on his way to Har' Ha'zeitim.

[jetfx]

Correction, its amazing so much western politics is based around that little territory.

Alot of the base values of Western Civilization do come from the Jews and Israel. The Palestinian conflict is quite removed from that.

[Aussiemoo]

Nuri, the approach we have to the unavoidable need to give money is the realization that is's not our society and not our problem, there is no shortage of money in the country, and of the communists wanted to distribute the wealth they have only their own beureacracy to deal with.
Chinese domestic tourism is really an amazing experience - if you have some demented obesession with busses. All it seems to be is riding in a coach with a tour gide yammering on with a microphone ion the front before you get off at some place where they've set up 50 stalls selling the EXACT SAME THING. I don't get how that works! I mean, you see some guy selling porcelain babies urinating, and keychains of red silk tassles, and you think to yourself, well here's my business plan, i will sell what he's selling, because if they've bought it once, they'lll buy it again. It boggles the mind.

PS. seeing as china makes all the tourist doohickies for the rest of the world, it's funny to see "Australia" shirts and kangaroo plush toys in the market

[Rodimus]

I would like to write in defense of tourist traps.

I grew up in the Southeastern US and there was hardly a state highway you could drive down without coming to a disputed and unlikely "World's Largest _____" but it was always a blast to follow the billboards and finally get there and see what all forms of garish promotion can be lavished on a giant pumpkin or 30 foot tall chair or a moonshine still as big as a grain silo (probably was a grain silo once).

Then there was always the ubiquitous Civil War battlefield where you could still find musket ball if got down close enough to the ground, and that if visited on a misty day had an eerie quality, a fullness in which could almost be heard the sharp report of cannon and rifles. Or the Space Centers the Rocket Parks that dot the South through Kennedy’s initiative, their rockets pointed skyward, the bucolic skyscrapers they were, endless dim tunnels of informative video, the dioramas-history frozen in miniature, the centrifuge ride that later made my brother vomit spectacularly into his seat well.

I remember the excitement I felt as a kid coming home the last day of school and seeing the station wagon parked on the driveway, my father, who’d taken half a day, securing the last lines to the bags we packed the night before. The destination, be it as close as Graceland or the Helen Keller Home, or as far as Yellowstone or Niagara Falls seemed only secondary as we started off, because we always took our time wherever we went, stopped at the roadside stands and bought peaches sweeter and more fragrant than anything else I have ever tasted, and kept our eyes peeled for those wacky billboards spaced every mile or so, counting down to whatever wonderful strangeness we might find.

The joy of the road trip. Something, I think, most people have forgotten. Anyway, since moving to Texas, I’ve tried to continue in that same vein. The distances are much greater here, and fuel is mounting on three dollars a gallon and it would probably be cheaper to buy tickets to Vegas for me and the little lady, but we try to take at least two journeys of over 500 miles by car every year.

Of Note: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ is a very good resource for anyone that might want to be taking the long drive here in the States as they plan their route and any detours they might take.

Interesting locales in Texas that I’ve been to in the last ten years: A park of "almost" anatomically correct dinosaurs down from The Creation Evidence Museum…which has definitive proof that man coexisted with dinosaurs

A House made of beer cans (45 minutes away)

The Forbidden City in China replicated in miniature in the middle of an old cow pasture

An bad Eiffel tower replica wearing a cowboy hat,
And of course, The Cadillac Ranch on 66.

[Retroboy]

I'll note another defense of "tourist traps" that jetfx reminded me of - they employ people. They're often an important source of income for smaller, artisan-type businesses such as potters and woodcarvers, and they do give summer jobs to a great number of students, and stimulate small local economies, which ain't a bad thing.

-- Retro

[Aussiemoo]

that's true, but HOW do they employ people, in the spirit of capitalism, we awant to see people employed in jobs that society needs and in ways that show their full capacity, hvaing unimaginative trinkets for sale everywhere may employ people, but if the trinkets suck, and people don't buy them, that's a good thing, because then they will make better trinkets! avoid tourist traps, and go to destinations, buy mementos that mean something, or are personal, and it promotes a better experience.

[HunterX]

London is, unfortunately, a tourist trap. In fact, that's probably the primary reason that most Londoners are complete bastards.

Same could be said about NYC Fishy and a lot of us here (I have pushed tourists out of my way, in to the street). BTW, steal me that poster.

During the heavy tourism seasons (now until Labor Day and Thanksgiving week until about Jan 3) the population of the island of Manhattan goes up almost 25%, Brooklyn gets an additional 10% (particularly downtown Brooklyn because of the hotels and easy access to Manhattan), and the other boroughs go up a combined 10% (family visits mostly, there really isn't much besides the zoo in the Bronx, but that's an hour ride on the subway from lower Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island really don't have anything).

Pisses me the hell off. Spend your money and go home, city's full. Although, I do love to screw with tourists. Hey, it's your fault for asking me if you should take the uptown or downtown train to 42nd ST and we're in the 50th ST station. FYI, your ass is going to take a whirlwind tour of all five bouroughs.

PS: No offense to our German boardies, but god damn, your country produces a lot of dumbasses.

[rc mad]

not many touriost bits round where i live, some good biking roads tho

I've done the tourism thing in both india (went from dehli west then down the coast back up to chennai) and south america (peru / bolivia / equador) i don't go on any high priced trips, i usaully go with a company called encounter, living off a truck for 5 - 6 weeks on end. I rarely if ever get hassled, mainly because i am usually polite, and speak at least a little of the local language.

I like getting off the main tourists routes tho, the look of suprise on a locals face when a white man appears asking for food is priceless, we'd stop at the local truckstops, order chapatiis and dal fry and not get hassled once. Drank the water as well :argh:

I'm heading out to china next may, going from bishkek to beijing overland, i'm trying to learn chinease, but all i've learned so far is where its the toilet

[Nurizeko]

Toilets are everywhere in Japan, EVERYWHERE...but god help you if you need the toilet on a motorway or train, no toilets on trains, and Motorways have wall-barriers on both sides, and no toilets, and if you find a bush you'd be lucky.

Edit: I guess its not so much tourist traps themselves, apart from being a bit hollow, is that family trips (for me anyway) were always bad, parents would think "were going to be a happy perfect family together" and it was never meant to be, you bring people along who dont share your exact hopes and dreams of family togetherness on vacation, especially kids/teenagers, its going to bloody blow up in their face.
And then theres tons of other families who are experiencing the same thing (but not learning that maybe this family togetherness like super-glue vacation thing doesnt work) and *shudder* it can just get ugly.

The most touristy junk thing I got was a Daruma doll from a Japanese festival, I did this really stupid (and embarrassing thing now I think of it) to my girlfriend, whenever I wanted some...fun *adults will understand* I would wave my Daruma to her and say in a deep voice "Daruma compels you!".

Heh, enjoying a tourist trap is really more about the people your with.

[Rodimus]

Also, if you are going to be in rural China, this toilet tutorial will be of help to you.

[reki]

PS: No offense to our German boardies, but god damn, your country produces a lot of dumbasses.

An American complaining about the intelligence level of international tourists is like a Londoner complaining about the amount of rain in San Jose.

[Noir]

Also, if you are going to be in rural China, this toilet tutorial will be of help to you.

It's a better idea to just not bother. Chinese toilets tend to be every bit as filthy as the blog post says, I say that as someone who immigrated from Hong Kong and now has to pee on the Chinese toilet in a dinky cheap restaurant if I have to go when I vacation back. Oh, and this is WITH a penis, I can't imagine doing anything toilet related Chinese style if I was a woman.

[Nurizeko]

Lol, great link, Japan has those toilets aswell, ussually they have at least one "western style" (read: Not a hole in the floor type) in the public loo's but a few are just the Japanese style...in that case I simply refused to go and held on until such a time as I could find a suitable toilet.

[ionfish]

Actually reki, the South-East apparently has less water available per-person in a year than the Sudan right now. My researches indicate that the mean yearly rainfall in London is approximately 50% greater than that in San Jose which, given the latter city's legendarily arid climate, isn't actually that much (for comparison, the Lake District receives nearly ten times as much rainfall as San Jose).

[reki]

rofl fishy

[rc mad]

rodimus, i've used those toilets in india, interesting to say the least, especially if you have a less than solid movement

that guide is great, similar to the experiance i went through

[QuixotesGhost]

I'm fortunate here, I live in Adelaide. People don't come to Adelaide, they go away from it.

I used to live in Woomera. I've been a tourist in Adelaide multiple times.

Mainly just to hit the beach though.

[HunterX]

reki I never said they were stupid (i.e. no intelligence). They're just dumbasses (i.e. no common sense). Maybe that part of their brain shuts down or something when they leave Europe.

[Numenor]

I live in a little town (Newport Pagnell) but we do have a tourist influx every now and again, especially tourists visiting near-london places. Basically all the motor heads like to come here because Newport is Aston Martin hometown.

I appreciate that they're nice cars, but I've lived here all my life (19 years) and I see some where betwixt 5-10 Astons a day. Its not special for me any more, and I always feel slightly irritated when I hear camera clad people walking by shout "Oh!? DB7!! George where's the camera?! Simon, hold my sandwich!"