Conrad McBenis
Bow Down
- Jan 10, 2018
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Travel Thread
- Thread starter GabeTravels
- Start date
We had about a 5 minute wait at Customs in Newark on Thursday night and I kept thinking about your claim about a 3 hour wait at TSA to get into the airport and I kept thinking how full of crap your story was
Don’t remember ever posting that, but I’ve had some pretty brutal customs experiences. No BS in those stories - entirely dependent on time. I waited in customs in Israel for 2 hours when I was there last year. It was a total shitshow.
Yet ironically I came into JFK with a big fat Democratic Republic of Congo stamp (at a time when there was an Ebola outbreak) and they waved me right through. No rhyme or reason.
John Price
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Did I also pee in your Cheerios? Because I don’t remember doing that either.
What’s with the attitude?
John Price
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I don't got no attitude. I just found it rather humorous your claim about that extremely long TSA line. That is it. HAve a nice day.
Got it, so because you didn’t have a long experience once it can’t be true. I’m not allergic to peanuts, so nobody is!
New normal: 4 hours to get through airport customs
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Has anyone been to Sri Lanka?
I spent two weeks there in September for a Tuk Tuk race. I think it was the best country I’ve ever been to. Amazing history and the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
I spent two weeks there in September for a Tuk Tuk race. I think it was the best country I’ve ever been to. Amazing history and the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
Hockey Outsider
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- Jan 16, 2005
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I'd like to visit Sri Lanka. My wife thinks I'm crazy. The biggest issue for me is the food - I don't do well with spices.
Why does she think you’re crazy? It’s a very safe country - felt safer there than nearly anywhere else I’ve been (other than East Asia)! Coincidentally it was voted Lonely Planets top place to travel in 2019 today.
The best places to visit in 2019 - Lonely Planet
The spice is definitely a concern, but for what it’s worth, I don’t tolerate spice that well and it was fine. We ate street food half the time because we had to cover so much distance each day and we’re constantly getting lost in or Tuk tuks. It has a little kick, but nothing overwhelming like I expected.
Let me know if you need any tips. I’d highly recommend it!
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
when I fly into the US I try to avoid flying into any airport in New Jersey or New York
it is like they can not wrap their collective heads around the fact some people do travel a lot
last time in Newark airport I was stuck in the little white room because I had a Schipol stamp in my passport--it was the tail end of of passport life so I had been too about 60 countries in 5 years and it was full of stamps--I was treated like I committed a crime because I like to travel
I just got a new passport so I may take a trip to the states--my passport that just expired has stamps from Russia, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and a few other places raise the radar of US custom guards
John Price
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Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Hockey Outsider
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She's into more "conventional" destinations - her top three choices are Japan, France and Italy (I've already visited the latter two before we got married and I'd rather see new countries first).
Was your visit self-planned, or were you part of a group? Assuming you don't speak Sinhala or Tamil, how difficult was it to get by with English? Thanks!
Got it - Japan is incredible as well!
I was in Sri Lanka for 15 full days, with seven other friends. The first five days we planned ourselves and visited the cultural heart of the island (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Dambulla). It’s very easy to get around - riding the trains is one of the most famous things to do in Sri Lanka, but you can always hire a car for dirt cheap (relative to most countries). The island is pretty small, so traveling long distances isn’t a big deal. Overall it was a breeze planning.
The second half we signed up for a Tuk Tuk race around the sourthern half of the island with an adventure tour group called Large Minority. It was incredible but very intense and extremely dangerous (the traffic is nuts, so imagine handling that if you’ve never driven a vehicle with a clutch and gears, on the left side of the road nonetheless) so not for everyone. They handled all the lodging, we were just required to get from A to B everyday (using a map, no phones allowed, and challenges to complete along the way). It would not have been difficult to plan though.
The people are unbelievably friendly. We didn’t know Sinhalese or Tamil (were given a useless phrase book for the race) and were constantly asking for directions. If you say hello to them and ask if they speak English in Sinhalese they will go out of their way to help you, even if they can’t speak English. However, a decent amount of the population spoke English, and depending on where you are the island can be pretty touristy, so you’ll always be able to find someone to talk to.
It’s also incredibly safe. Wouldn’t worry at all about that.
Thucydides
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- Dec 24, 2009
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Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
years ago--it was safe and fine as long as you understand their laws and customs
I think it is still a crime for a single couple to share a room
ScottishCanuck
Registered User
We had about a 5 minute wait at Customs in Newark on Thursday night and I kept thinking about your claim about a 3 hour wait at TSA to get into the airport and I kept thinking how full of crap your story was
It's almost as if people can have different experiences depending on how many flights are arriving, the time of day, or just how lucky they get with the timing.
An almost impossible concept to grasp apparently.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
also what passport you have and how often you travel.
A few people I know suggest because I do so much travelling and to countries that have reputations this does help my case
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
John Price
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- Sep 19, 2008
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Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
John Price
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- Sep 19, 2008
- 373,599
- 24,661
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
for those of you state side
There are some early reports there could be some great cyber Monday specials coming up
There are some early reports there could be some great cyber Monday specials coming up
John Price
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- Sep 19, 2008
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