Holiday destinations

[Dublin12]

Am thinking of going over to Croatia sometime in May,anyone been?,if so, is it as good as the brochures make it look?

What are your holiday plans this year?,if it sounds good I might change me mind about Croatia

[Hibs4Ever]

I highly recommend Barbados. Paradise, with a great nightlife :D

But this years holiday is definitely Cyprus for the match

[cullenswood]

Croatian women are definitely the best looking in Europe in my opinion. Even my missus noticed this and wondered if there was a section on the beach where all the ugly ones congregate cos there definitely weren't any that we could see!

[Risteard]

The girlfriend wants to go there for the summer.
I'm quite tied down by cash but i'm definitely gonna get away somewhere.
Definately not setting foot anywhere near those ****ty spanish resorts anyway.
Croatia info would be welcome there please.

[Peadar]

What are your holiday plans this year?,if it sounds good I might change me mind about Croatia

Israel in March
Faroe Islands in June
and Cyprus in October ;)

[Macy]

Can recommend Slovenia - we did a twin destination there last year - week in the mountains (Lake Bled) and a week on the coast (Portoroz). People in the north were friendlier and had better beer, on the coast they had the garanteed weather (not that it was bad in the mountains anyway). We'd defo go back to Slovenia, and maybe have the second week in Croatia instead.

Went into Croatia one of the days - but only to a couple of the market towns rather than one of the resorts. It's on the list anyway...

[Babysis]

Im off to Derry in February, but its only a flying visit. The real holiday's this year are The Faroe islands in June and Cyprus in October. Should also be doing at least 2 long weekends away. Not sure where yet. Amsterdam and Prague are very high up the list, but might do a different city in Ireland, will see. :)

[Hibs4Ever]

For weekend breaks I strongly reccomend a Helsinki/Tallinn double. Brilliant cities

[stickyjoe]

was in croatia for the ireland match back in 99. the women were top class ;)

the thought of 2 weeks on a croatian beach with the local women out topping up their tan............ ;) ;)

[Partizan]

I've been to the following destinations myself:

Manchester (1999) - Great nightlife and buzzing pub scene. Stayed in the Deansgate area down from Canal St. (full of queers) Weekend is just madness and it was cheap for a pint of Boddingtons if I recall rightly. Even took in a tour of Old Trafford and spent a few memorial nights at the Irish Centre in Salford singing the Irish Brigade, Nancy Spain and James Connolly :ball:

Crete (2000) - Drank myself absolutley silly, hooked up with a load of Dutch and painted Hersonnissos green. Bottles of Carlsberg export on ice were reasonable enough and went down very well. Weather, first week extremely hot but got a nice tan. Locals great in the village where I stayed and Greek dancing nights where the wine flowed were just memorable. Food second to none and very reasonably priced.

Ayia Napa (2001) - Drink and debauchery all the way. Spent 3 days in the local hospital recouperating from dehydration and over excess of alcoholic intake caused by my weakness for Carlsberg export. Massive headaches, god totally legless drinking slivovic with some Serbian blokes and having a few near run ins with British Army squaddies in the Crown and Rose bar.

Belguim (2002) - Spent a memorable 10 days consuming the best beer Belgium has to offer, Stella, Duvel etc. and 3 days wallowing in mud at the Pukkelpop alternative music festival with a load of drugged out, f**ked up German hippies.

Bulgaria & Serbia (2003-04) - Bulgaria is absolutley top notch. Women are absolutley class, well toned bodies (Slavic looks) drop dead gorgeous. Weather alternated from hot dry summers to freezing cold winters. Cost of living including the beer is outrageously cheap. People are very friendly and down to earth although the overall knowledge of angliski is next to non existant. Beautiful scenery where I went to seaside in the summer and chanced my arm at some skiing in Bansko in January. Was in Bulgaria from Aug 2003 to May '04 and went back again in August for a week. Cons: Policemen are absolute *****s and mafia hoods everywhere. Levski & CSKA Sofia derby at the Army Stadium is the place to be, Bohs v Rovers....you got to be kiddin me.

Serbia (March & Sept '04) - Belgrade is the biz. Great place for shopping, good nightlife some good bars complete with 2 Irish pubs. People are very down to earth and friendly and the women....Some lovely parks and a large man made lake in the city centre that is packed with swimmers during the summer and caters for water skiers. Again like Bulgaria is very cheap. Try the Montenegrin beer Niksicko, lip smacking stuff and lovely when served cold. Really nice place in the summer where I recommend a walk or cruise along the Danube. Stayed in a village with some friends in central Serbia. If you like pigs, Yugo Zastavas, home brew potent plum brandy, pork, heavy meety food and traditional Serbian hospitality and and lycra clad female turbo folk singers then this place is for you.

Other places I went to was Nis in the south east (looked depressing but lovely people) and Novi Sad in the north (beautiful Austro-Hungarian architecture) which has a western European feel to it and home to about a dozen different ethnic groups and languages.

Fvck the Costa del Sh!te.

[Neish]

A few workmates and I heading to China for two weeks to visit another girl that used to work with us who is teaching out there now. Heading to Hong Kong , Great Wall , Beijing and a few other places, be a bit of a change fro the Average run of the mill holiday.
Only bad thing is the dates March 20th-April 4th so I'll miss the first two or three games of the season.Kinda hoping that Harps are away in Dublin first game on the friday or Saturday so I'll get to see the first game.

Also planning to get to the Ireland game in Cyprus in early October. A crowd of Harps heading over a spending a week in Ayia Napa prior to game :cool:

[max power]

european game and florida in sept

[sligoman]

I was in Cyprus in 2002 and it is a very nice place, people ok,not very friendly but speak very good English.

We went up to Northern Cyprus(which is owned by Turkey-Southern Cyprus owned by Greece) for the day, nice scenery and cheaper up there, especially for clothes.Southern Cyprus is priced much the same as Ireland, so if your looking for a cheap holiday,Cyprus is'nt the place to go.We actually met a guy from Sligo over at the north/south border, he is a cop, patrolling the border.Small world! :D

Cyprus is also full of history-the town of Famagusta(which is now in control of the UN) you can now only see from a watch tower about three miles away, because this is in the middle of the border (green zone).People's houses and all the hotels and other buildings, were just evacuated when the Turks arrived, they say you can still see peoples clothes on the line at the back of their houses. Famagusta is now infested with rats and snakes.

Weather good-very hot

[SÓC]

(full of queers)

God bless the inclusive far left

[Babysis]

For weekend breaks I strongly reccomend a Helsinki/Tallinn double. Brilliant cities
thanks very much

[pete]

Israel in March
Faroe Islands in June
and Cyprus in October ;)

What about South Brussels in July?

[SÓC]

What about South Brussels in July?

Ah it takes a €75 taxi ride to get from Brussels to 'South Brussels' and then you have to deal with SHHHHHANNNNNEEE

Anyone here ever been to NZ? I'd love to go

[exile]

was in crotia myself (dubrovnik) and it was brilliant cheap booze cheap food if your into the nghtlife scene its brilliant or if you want the more cultured holiday thats also available topspot would recomend doing the islands for a week and doing one of the citys for the other week

[Docboy]

Was in NZ, South Island, in March last year for a couple of weeks. Easily the most beautiful & scenic place I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. My sis is out there for her 2nd year working in Queenstown,the bunjy jump and outdoor adventure capital of the world. Thinking of goin back only the France & Swiss games is putting me off, especially the Swiss,we owe them w***ers. If in doubt go,you won't regret it!

[dortie]

But this years holiday is definitely Cyprus for the match

Cyprus is fantastic, Ayia Napa is great, not the mad hole you hear about on the grapevine.

Luke Kellys Irish Bar has live music every night.

[harpskid]

Also planning to get to the Ireland game in Cyprus in early October. A crowd of Harps heading over a spending a week in Ayia Napa prior to game :cool:

I'm heading on that one myself and i'm heading to Amsterdam for a mates stag do in July as well :cool:

[finlma]

I've been to Croatia a good few times and its my favourite place in Europe. Zagreb does suck though and I wouldn't recommend it. Hvar and Brac islands are spectacular. They're pretty cheap and the people are so nice. Dubrovnik (down the very south) is my favourite city in the world, you really have to see it if you go to Croatia. Use the ferry to travel down, its a really nice journey along the coast.
Other great places in Europe are Slovenia (esp Ljubliana), Slovakia (Tatras Mts), Poland (Krakow).
I'm currently in NZ and I love it here, its a great country. So much to see and do and I'd really recommend anyone to come out here for a year. Only problem is not being able to catch the Ireland games.
Next stop is Oz, then Fiji and Samoa and then Canada. I might go back to the home country at some stage but its too much of a rip-off and too wet.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Partizan

Have to agree with all you say about the Balkan countries.
Was in Bulgaria in 2000 for the Intertoto Cup and enjoyed it for a few days.
I have been in Nis twice . In 2001 and 2002 and would agree wholeheartedly with you about the place. Went to Belgrade in 2003 and went to see your namesake team take on Marseilles in the Champions League. Was also in Novi Sad.

Am looking forward to returning to Belgrade this time to see the Zvezda in action. If you ever find yourself in Serbia again, especially down South, sample Leskovac Muckalica pronounced ( lesh-kovats Mooshkalitsa). Local cuisine at it's best! Oh and Zemun is worth a look on your next visit to Belgrade just over the bridge over the two rivers to the North. Lots of old buildings and the Saint Andrew is a great restaurant


Montenegro is highly recommended by Serbs as a place to visit , intend to go there if possible later in the year.




In March am off to South America for a couple of weeks. Brazil and Chile :D

[finlma]

Partizan

Have to agree with all you say about the Balkan countries.
:D

Forgot to say that Bosnia is a great country too. Sarajevo is a great party city since the war finished. Its very different to other European cities.

Also, can't mention holiday detinations without mentioning Thailand. That country rocks.

[Dublin12]

Thanks to everyone for replies :) ,think I'll be going Croatia so :)

[Peadar]

What about South Brussels in July?


Hoping for a more exotic destination this year.
Is the draw regionalised or can we draw one of the Balkan teams?

[corkharps]

You should try 'Beautiful Bundoran',especially around the 12th of July.Classy joint! :cool:

[dortie]

You should try 'Beautiful Bundoran',especially around the 12th of July.Classy joint! :cool:

Theres nearly as many Northerners as there is Donegal men shopping in Derry on a Saturday !

[finlma]

Luke Kellys Irish Bar has live music every night.

What is it with Irish people going abroad and going to Irish pubs the whole time. May as well go to Galway on holiday. I go to Irish bars when I'm at away games for the craic but other than that I try to avoid them.

[dortie]

What is it with Irish people going abroad and going to Irish pubs the whole time. May as well go to Galway on holiday. I go to Irish bars when I'm at away games for the craic but other than that I try to avoid them.

Tell me what resort bars have 'local culture' ?
Nothing wrong with partying with other Irish in warm weather and a different environment.....At least you know what your in for.

[town73]

Anyone been to Fuerteventura? Supposed to be decent for the surfing?

[eoinh]

In March am off to South America for a couple of weeks. Brazil and Chile :D


Was on holiday in Chile for three weeks about 4 years ago. Had a great time.
In the citys especially Santiago and Valparaiso there is a very very big disparity between the rich and poor areas. I stayed with my aunt there for a bit and shes totally anti-pinochet. She took us to the places where they used to torture the political prisoners. Grim stuff.

The football season is going on at the moment so you should try and go to a football match. Colo Colo are the big team in Chile.

[the 12 th man]

Anyone been to Fuerteventura? Supposed to be decent for the surfing?

friends been there.
not sure about the surfing but nightlife was very quite :)

[fosterdollar]

Spent two weeks in Croatia last year and it is absolutely beautiful.

First week spent in Hvar, an island off the coast of Dalmatia. Stunning. Stayed in the town of Hvar itself which is really relaxing. Second week we spent in in Makarsk, which is on the mainland and much more 'resorty' with discos etc. It's situate between Split and Dubrovnik and you can get to eithr by bus on a daytrip. Spliceni pride themsleves on being the most attractive race in the world, think a couple of Miss Worlds came from there. The Palace of the Emperor Diocletian is remarkable. But Dubrovnik is just about the most fascinating place I have been, an ancient walled city that is perfectly preserved for hundreds of years - no cars allowed into it, no plastic signs, just a square mile of palaces and churches on the edge of the sea.

If you're interested in war and recent history, Bosnia is only a bus trip away too. Went to Mostar, which is an amazing place, if a depressing reminder of what that country suffered during the Balkan wars.

Next time I will probably head to the island of Korcula, which is again off the Dalmatian coast. For history and culture, scenery, sun and sand and the cleanest seas you can imagine, you have to go.

Ditto on all of this. I spent two weeks in Croatia last August/September. First week we (a group of 5, incl. one couple) stayed in an apartment in Dubrovnik. 2 min walk down into the Old Town which, as Conor74 pointed out, is absolutley amazing. Architecture, people, weather, cleanliness all unbeatable. The city itself is steeped in history. It is situated on the coastal side of mountains and during the war they were bombarded with shells and mortars from the top of the mountain. Still some minor evidence of this but they have largely moved on in terms of getting everything up and running and clearing away ruins, etc. You'll meet people from all over the world in Dubrovnik and what's more you're likely to bump into them several times over you're stay. It has that kind of 'just a big town' feel to it. The food is generally seafood which suits me very well cos i love it. They have a very simplistic approach to their food as well and are wary of messing it up with fancy sauces and garnishes. You'll almost always get the freshest, tastiest food possible though. There are A LOT of pizzerias around on the side streets. Clearly they only open for the tourist season but you can't go wrong with a pizza anyway and they're handy for when you're going out and just want something quick before going out.

For the second week the couple headed off on their own (went to Mostar in Bosnia and back up north, inland to Zagreb, and back again to Dubrovnik for the flight home). The three of us hired a car and headed north along the coast and then ferryhopped through the bigger islands on the Adriatic coast. Driving up the coast was brilliant as we could stop whenever we wanted to take in the views or take advantage of empty beaches - unreal. I wish i could talk about it for longer but i'd be here all day. The islands are great craic - we met even madder people there than in dubrovnik.

Summing up, Croatia is a beautiful country. Croatians have a friendly welcoming attitude and they know how to live. I would recommend a visit anytime, however we noticed the islands were getting a bit quiet by the time we got to them in september. In Hvar town there is a nightclub in a castle with a swimming pool in it but that was closed when we were there - same story in korcula. Overall, the best holiday I've ever had by far. The sea and beaches (although sand beaches are hard to find) are so clean. You can have peace and quiet when you want it and go mad when you want to also. Class.

[elroy]

Spent last summer in Chicago-an incredbile city, got the best of both worlds good weather and lovely beaches and a buzzing city nightlife. Will worth going especially now as the exchange rate is so good.

[Dotsy]

Anyone been to Fuerteventura? Supposed to be decent for the surfing?


Going to Fuerteventura for a week in June. It's regarded as one of the best locations for surfing in Europe. Going with the family so quiet night life doesn't bother me. A couple of mates were there before Christmas when the locusts invaded. Even with that they said it was very nice but nothing spectacular. Not particulary cheap the saem as the other Canary islands.

I worked in Riga for a couple of years. I would definitley recommed it for a long weekend (Ryanair fly there for next to nothing from Stansted and Air Baltic fly from Dublin). The old town is spectacular (very like the old town in Stockholm but not as touristy). Plenty of beer gardens around town in the summer. Great nightlife and Latvian women are stunning. For those that were there in early nineties for the Ireland matches the place has changed massively (which is sad in many ways) and there are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. The best laugh I had the last time I was back in 2003 for a mates stag was a shooting range where for $20 you could get your hands on some serious firepower (AK47 the works) for an hour or two.

[Partizan]

Partizan

Have to agree with all you say about the Balkan countries.
Was in Bulgaria in 2000 for the Intertoto Cup and enjoyed it for a few days.
I have been in Nis twice . In 2001 and 2002 and would agree wholeheartedly with you about the place. Went to Belgrade in 2003 and went to see your namesake team take on Marseilles in the Champions League. Was also in Novi Sad.

Am looking forward to returning to Belgrade this time to see the Zvezda in action. If you ever find yourself in Serbia again, especially down South, sample Leskovac Muckalica pronounced ( lesh-kovats Mooshkalitsa). Local cuisine at it's best! Oh and Zemun is worth a look on your next visit to Belgrade just over the bridge over the two rivers to the North. Lots of old buildings and the Saint Andrew is a great restaurant


Montenegro is highly recommended by Serbs as a place to visit , intend to go there if possible later in the year.


Ever tried Pleskavica (Serbian hamburger) There is this shop in Novi Sad, forget the name but I was eating my fingers after it. Kilos of greese and ketchup, dribbling down you arm :p bliss.

Never in Leskovac but I met a lovely girl from there when I was in Belgrade at a conference in March last year. Its a place you got to visit so she said. I can imagine the scene, centre of the town, full of pigs & battered Yugos.

I stayed in a village called Nova Banovici which is largely populated by refugees from Bosnia, Kraijina (Serb Croatia) & Slovenia. Very heartbreaking to hear individual stories and how ordinary folk were betrayed by corrupt and opportunistic politicians. The village is a mish mash of different ethnic groups, kind of a microcosism of old Yugo. Czech, Slovaks, Hungarians and even several Croat families in the neighbourhod. Stara Pazova, the nearest town inhabited mainly by Slovaks, Germans and Roma is a mad place with loads of concerts happening in the summer. Have you heard of the Orthodox Celts, a local group that plays Irish stuff.

I had a lovely time in the village and the people were very friendly. I got no negativity shown towards me for who I was or where I was from. Got stociously ****ed in the local bars.

I was in Zemun and its where Belgrade's nutters are concentrated in. Drank in a dodgy looking bar that had pics of bearded Chetniks and double headed eagles & CCCC stuff plastered all over the place. Nice locals though.

When you were in Belgrade, did you take a walk up along the fortress (watch out for angel with the big dick overlooking the Danube) After that I paid a visit into some dingy tourist shop where some old guy try to flog me a JNA army helmet and a portrait of Tito. I ended up buying a load of communist era stickers and pennants. I also paid a visit to Comrade Tito's tomb in the House of Flowers. Place was full of Slovene tourists and a lone soldier still guards the. The museum is fascinating place.

Nis: did you see a guy by the railway station selling IRA t-shirts. :eek:

All in all Serbia is a top spot, people are very humble, proud and very patriotic with a strong sense for the past. I think they did get a raw deal over the last 15 years and got rightly f**ked over by the West (Clinton, Blair) and the media that painted them out as loony tunes. Exact opposite, Serbia is perhaps the most multicultural of all the ex Yugoslav republics and its people are very accomodating and friendly. I have met with many of the nationalities of the former Yugoslavia. Croats I found to be the most unpleasant lot, inherintly racist and anti-semitic when you move the topic to politics while Kosovar Albanians are a very reserved and clannish lot, have an argument with one, the rest of 'em are after you. Montenegrins are the most laid back group I have ever met. Bit like us :D While Slovenes think they are better than their barbarian cousins, ie. the superiority complex (bit like our Cork neighbours). Havent met a Bosniak yet so no comment.

I'm in Bulgaria at the moment and am very well tempted to take the bus to Nis and just chill before before grabbing the train to Belgrade.

Forza Grobari.

Dortie:
Ayia Napa when I was there is just total hedonism with a capital H. Was there in 2001, full of loose Scandinavian and English birds and woke up in small unfamiliar surroundings after an all night session in one of the many bars. Overrall, very tacky and not very Cypriot.

[Closed Account 2]

Was in Italy last year,

Urbino (http://www.birmanpets.btinternet.co.uk/DSCF0251.JPG) and Napoli (http://www.birmanpets.btinternet.co.uk/Napoli_Panorama2.JPG)were great.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Partizan

We should swap notes some time in person. Maybe at a Blues V College game.
Giz a shout when you get back to Ireland ,I am a frequent visitor to Blaaville during the summer in any event.

Met some Bosniaks through my off field involvements in football. A long story. Sound people too though.

P.S.I have Green Roses by The Orthodox Celts on CD.
;)

[CollegeTillIDie]

Was on holiday in Chile for three weeks about 4 years ago. Had a great time.
In the citys especially Santiago and Valparaiso there is a very very big disparity between the rich and poor areas. I stayed with my aunt there for a bit and shes totally anti-pinochet. She took us to the places where they used to torture the political prisoners. Grim stuff.

The football season is going on at the moment so you should try and go to a football match. Colo Colo are the big team in Chile.

My granny was born in Valparaiso and I am bringing me Da to see where his Ma was born. Thanks for the tip off. Hoping to see Vina Del Mar which hosted a few of the games in the 1962 World Cup Final stages.
I will be mostly in Valparaiso... do they have a decent team?

[Closed Account 2]

Im going to Spain soon, I know we have a few people on here who are Spanish and/or have lived in, or been to Spain a lot.

If anyone has any ideas on the following it would be great:-

I fly into Santiago de Compostela, has anyone been there ? Is it any good (much to see or do) or are there any nice places around it ?

For instance is Vigo any good ?

Lastly I'm trying to get from Lisbon to Seville later on, any ideas if there is a direct train or bus. On the Renfe site, it suggests going through Madrid on an overnight train, but this seems a bit like going 2 sides of a triangle.

Also any ideas if its possible to get tickets for the Seville derby (I'm guessing it will be sold out, its the same weekend as Barca v Real Madrid) and when do they announce if a game is on a Saturday or Sunday ?

Thanks for any help.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Im going to Spain soon, I know we have a few people on here who are Spanish and/or have lived in, or been to Spain a lot.

If anyone has any ideas on the following it would be great:-

I fly into Santiago de Compostela, has anyone been there ? Is it any good (much to see or do) or are there any nice places around it ?

For instance is Vigo any good ?

Lastly I'm trying to get from Lisbon to Seville later on, any ideas if there is a direct train or bus. On the Renfe site, it suggests going through Madrid on an overnight train, but this seems a bit like going 2 sides of a triangle.

Also any ideas if its possible to get tickets for the Seville derby (I'm guessing it will be sold out, its the same weekend as Barca v Real Madrid) and when do they announce if a game is on a Saturday or Sunday ?

Thanks for any help.


Santiago is a pilgrimage town full of churches and religious sites to see.
You will not be too far from A Coruna home of Deportivo there. About 1 hour by bus I would estimate.

[Dr.Nightdub]

Go to Cuba, people, particularly before Fidel pops his clogs. Amazing place, unlike any other country on the planet.

Here's some stuff I wrote about it just after I got home; I know it's a bit long and will probably run into two posts so apologies in advance.

What they have in Cuba is the germ of something quite special. My grasp of Cuban history ain't great, but they did themselves a great favour in getting rid of the dictator and US puppet Batista back in 1959. They then launched into the ‘60s on this tide of incredible optimism and some of the things they did and accomplished back then are still remarkable. A simple example: Fidel's first attack on the Batista regime was a botched assault on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago in July 1953. In 1960, a year after the revolution, the barracks was turned into a primary school. You've got to applaud the attitude of a regime that does things like that.

There's a big billboard near the sea-wall in Havana, pointing towards Miami, that says "Mr. Imperialist, we have no fear of you". I kinda admire that kind of spunk - rhetorical and all as it is, cos if Dubya decided to invade Cuba in the morning, Fidel would be history by the afternoon.

I think Fidel and Che were motivated by a genuine idealism and desire to change the world for the better. Having led the revolution, Che could very easily have sat back on his laurels and served out his time as Minister for Health in Cuba , but instead he toddled off to Bolivia to try and repeat the success and we all know how he ended up. There's a very real sense among Cubans, even today, 40-odd years later, of Che being their lost and lamented icon, the favourite brother who was cut off in his prime. One of the very few sad songs I heard while I was there - and heard several times - was a ballad about him called "Hasta Siempre Commandante". I reckon they still love him for a good reason.

The revolutionary regime practically eradicated illiteracy in the space of a couple of years and poured money into providing a public health service that even has the possibility of generating a lot of "health tourism" revenue for them it's that good.

Or it would be if it weren't for the US blockade. You can't look at the state the country is in today without taking the blockade into account - it prevents them from dealing with their natural trading partner, from acquiring all sorts of equipment, spare parts and technology that are owned by US corporations who are forbidden to sell these things to Cuba.

The blockade, allied to the collapse of the Soviet bloc (Cuba‘s main trading partner), left Cuba fcuked in the early 90s and I think it's only really since then that the rumblings of discontent have started gathering momentum. That's not surprising really, there is appalling poverty in the country and if you don't have some kind of access to tourist dollars, you are rightly screwed.

Another example: according to one old guy we got talking to, the old age pension is 90 pesos a month. There are 26 pesos to the dollar. There are one and a bit dollars to the euro. Go do the maths.

They do. They see tourists and they see a potential lifeline, even a temporary one. Straightforward begging and attempted scamming is endemic. One of the hardest things I had to do was to learn to start saying no to the endless stream of people who’d come up looking for money, even to people whose hard-luck stories were patently genuine. One wee girl, about 12 or 13, came into a bar and asked the Cuban I was with could I give her two dollars to put with the one she had. If she had three dollars she could buy a pair of shoes. If she had a pair of shoes, she could go to school. I said yes to her - she kissed me in gratitude and literally skipped out of the bar. The thought of not being able to say yes to the next person and the next person and the next person made my eyes well up.

When things have got that bad, discontent and dissent is inevitable. The reaction of the regime has been that of every totalitarian regime the world over, left or right: to clamp down heavily. (I’ll come back to the totalitarian bit later - Fidel is president for life.) More than once, people in Havana joked to me that it was the safest city in the world: "There are two million people in Havana - one million citizens and one million policia". And it's true - there is a cop, if not on every corner, then on every second corner.

That's great if you're a tourist - I felt safer on dark unlit streets in Old Havana in the small hours of the morning than I would in Grafton Street. But if you're a local, all those policia have to do something to pass the time so they're forever stopping people and taking their details for the slightest transgression, or for no transgression at all.

Another example: last Wednesday night in Santiago, there were a lot of soldiers about the town, obviously on leave. Soldiers on leave have one thing (among others) in mind. Sitting on a balcony with three Cubans, we watched as the policia stopped and questioned a series of young women for no apparent reason other than the fact that they were dolled up for the night. The presumption was clear: young woman equals prostitute. There’s something gravely wrong with a regime that thinks that way. One of the people I was with was incandescent with rage and it took half an hour for the others to get her to calm down.

No wonder, then, that people look for change - whether regime change or change in their own personal circumstances, it makes no odds as the same motivation lies behind both. Naturally, the locals are too wary to talk openly to tourists about political change. But every night, people line the sea-wall in Havana - the sea-wall that faces Miami - watching the sun set to the west and the look of longing on their faces is obvious.

One lad I got talking to one night - a guy in his early 20s - told me of his determination to emigrate to Miami, even though it meant having to renounce his Cuban citizenship. The mad part was that he was fiercely proud of Cuba and the good side of it, but equally determined to escape the bad side - having to hustle all the time just to cope with the hassle and the grind. The country is full of contradictions like that - some of the areas that you’d think would be ripe for rebellion against the regime are the very ones most festooned in hand-painted declarations of loyalty to that regime. God knows, they’re not being bought off, they’re far too run-down for that to be happening.

But I think there’s a real recognition in Cuba that while material hardship is undeniably and unbearably painful, material things aren’t everything. For example, racial harmony seems to be pretty much absolute - all around, you see people of Latin, black and mixed race and it’s plain that the colour of a person’s skin is utterly irrelevant to them. As I said earlier, practically all their songs sound happy and uplifting - I commented on this to Cubans and they seemed genuinely surprised that I’d even mention it.

Probably the best expression of the whole contradiction of Cuba that I came across was in the Rough Guide - it said that Cubans don’t have the right to vote, but if they did, they’d probably vote for what they have.

[Dr.Nightdub]

don't despair - there are little seeds of hope everywhere. I read in the English-language edition of "Granma", the Cuban government paper, that your House of Representatives has approved an amendment seeking to end the ban on US citizens travelling to Cuba. I haven't a clue what that means in terms of your political process but it sounds like a step in the right direction anyway.

The feeling you described is very similar to something I felt a lot of the time while there - what I'd characterise as "western guilt". I got off the overnight train from Havana to Santiago at one of the two stops along the way, just to have a smoke, and clustered around the door of every carriage were people trying to sell passengers these ham and cheese rolls at five pesos a go. See my earlier post for the exchange rate. I wasn't hungry but if someone was so desperate that they'd meet a train at three in the morning to flog a roll for about 15 cents in our money, I felt obliged to buy a couple.

I don't know where the guilt came from. I certainly didn't cause the poverty. Nor would I have been able to put any sort of a dent in it. As one Cuban woman said to me, "You could give a dollar to each poor person that asked you, but the dollar wouldn't last very long and you'd have nothing left for all the others."

The other part of the guilt related to their illusions of what the outside world is like. I mentioned the lad who dreamed of emigrating to Miami: I didn’t feel entitled to fill him in on some of the less salubrious aspects of life in the west, I had no right to spoil his dream. The same woman was stunned and appalled when I told her that in my city, people sleep in doorways during winter. And at the same time, some of the technology we take for granted is beyond them, for reasons of either cost or control. Mobiles. The internet.

I read here about the RTS protest on Monday. Cycle lanes? Public transport? God they would so love to have our problems! Yes, all those old Chevys and Oldsmobiles in Havana do look so incredibly photogenic and sitting in one with your arm out the window you do feel like James fcuking Dean for a moment. But in Santiago, they don’t have buses, just these old clapped-out open-topped trucks with up to 40 people crammed in the back under a tarpaulin in 30-degree heat - you’d gag on the fumes belched out as they rumble past but those poor sods have to stand there and breathe it in for their whole journey. Lead-free petrol wasn’t invented back when these yokes were built and they’d probably think a catalytic converter is someone who’s changed their religion.

Yet nowhere did I encounter the slightest hint of resentment, let alone anger, directed at me for being one of the very obvious "haves". I couldn't understand that. I just don't buy the notion of the eternally stoical downtrodden, endlessly bearing their crosses with fortitude. Not all of them at once. But something keeps them going. It's not found at the bottom of a bottle of cerveza or rum, the way it would be here. Not once did I see anyone looking a bit p1ssed in Cuba, unless it was when I looked in the mirror while washing my teeth at night. Yet they find solace somewhere.

That brings me back to the music. Now maybe I got it totally wrong and millions of Cubans are just living out their lives in some Caribbean version of “The Truman Show”, where they’re mere extras in a giant Buena Vista Social Club theme park that Fidel has built to rake in the tourist dollars.

But my god, the music is everywhere and it’s infectious and continually uplifting! You walk down one of the narrow streets in Old Havana and the walls are just throbbing with salsa, son and rumba (and also this really appalling Cuban rap which, in all fairness, Fidel should come down very hard on).

Most of the time I hadn’t a bog’s notion what they were singing about but there’s an unmistakable joy in the music, in the harmonies, in the call-and-response and in the loping rhythms. One night I ended up at a gig by this group of seven old guys, they were the third great band I’d seen in three different places that night; the MC got up to announce the end of the gig and these lads just kept on going for another hour or so because they were on such a buzz. It simply didn’t matter that there were only seven people left in the audience because they were just off on one and they weren’t letting it go.

Then after a while you start listening to the layers of the music and thinking about the history of Cuba. Most groups would have two guitars, one of which would be strung in three sets of two strings, rather than six strings an equal distance apart. It’s called a tres and it’s tuned very high but then you start following it and you think, “Hey, that doesn’t sound so different to a lot of African music.” The percussion is also obviously African in origin…

…Oh god, I gotta have a quick digression. Earlier, that same night, I’d seen another group in a different bar and midway through a song, the bongo player went into a solo and sweet jesus, his hands were a blur. Then in the middle of all that, he gets up off his stool and starts waddling across the floor, the bongos still gripped between his thighs and if anything, his playing accelerated. Then he sits down and calls over a woman who was sitting at our table and after some persuasion, she goes over and takes over the solo from him without dropping a beat. Unbelievable.

Anyway, you start thinking about the history of Cuba and there’s an obvious mixture of African slave and Spanish slave-master going on in the music. Then Havana goes and hits you with another whammy of a contradiction because you’re walking down a street one night and hear a crowd cheering in a bar so you go in to check it out and the place is packed with Cubans lapping up an amazing flamenco band. What?!?! They fought a thirty-year war of independence at the end of the nineteenth century to get rid of the Spanish and now they’re revelling in the music of the coloniser. I dunno, it’d be like walking into a jampacked Morris-dancing gig on the Falls Road.

But in all honesty, I think that whatever it is they express through their music (whether as performers or listeners), Cubans have already found a way to set themselves free of the awful crap they have to put up with. There’s a spirit and a contentment about them that we just don’t have. We’ve got all the gizmos and the knick-knacks and yes, we do have a vote, but they’ve got something completely different. Music is a cultural expression of how people feel and after two weeks of watching them, talking to them and listening to them, I think that in many ways, in their heads, Cubans are more free than either Fidel or Dubya could ever make them.

[Block G Raptor]

Me mate just bought two holiday homes in Bulgaria. 1 in the ski resort the other by the beach so im sorted for this year

[sligoman]

Me mate just bought two holiday homes in Bulgaria. 1 in the ski resort the other by the beach so im sorted for this yearLucky sod, probably cost him 30,000 for both:D.

[Gerrit]

Am thinking of going over to Croatia sometime in May,anyone been?,if so, is it as good as the brochures make it look?

What are your holiday plans this year?,if it sounds good I might change me mind about Croatia

Bit late but... I am a northern adept, but there's one southern country I have very good memories on as well: Croatia. A must-see. It's very authentic, not spoiled by mass tourism at all. The people are very relaxed and so friendly it's almost unreal. The sceneries are incredible, and the weather is just as fine as in Spain or Italy. I visited the Kvarner Islands twice, and those were amongst the most incredible places I ever went to.

Yes, the Croatian girls are a must-see as well :o My first trip to Croatia was when I was 15 years old and just discovered the fascinating thing that a female body can be... Then the hotel organised a miss contest, and I was front row during the show... No further details needed, or I will labelled a maniac ;)

But anyway, bottom line: Croatia will not disappoint you. BOOK THAT HOLIDAY



My own holiday plans? I have personal issues preventing me from much travelling, though I have two shorter trips coming up.

Within two weeks: Scotland (normally it will the Hebrides)

August: M'era Luna Gothic Festival, in Hildesheim (Germany). 40000 Goths gathered, look very much forward to that!