phoenix1981

I love the way that Paris is just a little bit broken and dirty. It is definitely a very romantic city. The big attractions didn’t matter all that much to me, but the river boat tour is something else entirely. I also haven’t seen Notre Dame from close up – I might very well be impressed by that.

Even though I’ve been much further afield than this, I could not help but be very deeply impressed – emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, by the legacy of the Moors.
Make sure you leave some space for souvenirs – the market streets in the Arab quarter and the market artesanal have some very worthwhile imports from Syria and Morocco, as well as Granada’s own traditional designs.
I somewhat regret not having got round to visiting the cathedral, so I never found out whether the money they charge for entry would have been worth it…
Take adequate photo storage – you may find you’ll need it. Breathtaking views, especially up at the Alhambra, and from the miradores all around.

It’s full of shaved-head American armed forces and white guys trying to either pick up or marry Thai girls/women, and Thai women who in turn are playing their cards.
On the upside, this has brought prosperity to the city, with a big shopping mall, ice cream parlours, bars, big cinema at the mall, nice hotels which are still cheap enough (recommendation: City Lodge).
Also, dodgy pet shops selling young eagles and toucans – no doubt originally acquired through poaching in the nearby national parks. We took some pictures and they weren’t happy…

We bought some souvenirs at the market there – cheap stuff from Laos and China, as well as local produce and Japanese samurai porcelain (!). Some of the meat is quite good, we didn’t trust the fish as much. The Mekong is quite unexciting at that stretch, just a big brown mass quietly pushing on. The Laos bank looks just the same as the Thailand one, so no interest there, either…

Never get into a parked-up cab or believe anything a parked-up cab driver tells you! Make sure you go to the Chatuchak (aka weekend market)!

The people there are so chilled, you might be stepping on discarded needles… Instead, try staying at Rock Sand or the Neverland-like installment next to it – I guarantee a funky (as in super) experience. It is on White Sand, but it’s not as bad as another reviewer made out. ;)