Is there any country you would not go to even if you were paid to go there?

dotsman

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

The state-sanctioned murder rate is higher though.

Actually, while on the books, Israel doesn't use the Death Penalty. Eichmann (major Nazi) in '62 was the last to be executed by the state.

If you are referring to the various wars Israel has been in, well, that's a different story. By that count many countries (including our own) would have crazy "murder" statistics.

Anyway, don't want this thread to be derailed into a Israel/Palestine thread as there are more than enough of them (and just end up being stupid tit-for-tat arguments with nobody ever wanting to concede the others point (bit like the conflict for real )

biddyearley

Egypt. Was there. Veritable sh*thole. Filthy, polluted and corrupt.
You look at the pyramids and Tutankhamun's mask and ask how the fcuk did they evolve to this?

cagefactor

jmreire wrote: »

Did you manage a visit Liberia, while you were in there?

No, had a 2 weeks work trip to Ivory Coast, the most dangerous place I have ever been. Needed to bribe customs to get into the country, had to bribe army/police checks daily while going to work, couldnt walk outside incase of kidnapping or getting mugged. Will never go back if another trip comes up there in future

Signore Fancy Pants

Larbre34 wrote: »

Case in point. Why would any person from this Country, ever want or need to go to Liberia?!

Irish troops served there for over 3 years as part on the UN.

Need a Username

biddyearley wrote: »

Egypt. Was there. Veritable sh*thole. Filthy, polluted and corrupt.
You look at the pyramids and Tutankhamun's mask and ask how the fcuk did they evolve to this?

The Brits I think. They have caused most problems.

How does the corruption affect the average tourist? As above never been but do intend to someday.

biddyearley

Need a Username wrote: »

The Brits I think. They have caused most problems.

How does the corruption affect the average tourist? As above never been but do intend to someday.

immigration officer tried to keep my passport wanted me to pay to give it back. Scam central the whole place. Want to jump the queue? Flash a US dollar, you're straight to the top. whatever you want, security men/cops/soldiers will kick everyone out of the way for a buck. Everything about the place is bad. Cairo is a giant collapsing city, and it's to do with Nasser freezing all rents at 1954 rates to the current day. From my 14th floor the clouds were the smog of 3 million vehicles on the streets. No car lanes so no lane discipline. Dead donkeys and horses dumped in the irrigation canals. Plastic choking the rivers and canals, as if the recycling lorries just tipped stuff in 24/7. Scam central, the whole place. Topped by a violent military which controls everything and pulls people off the street at a whim.



It's all in Allah's hands, apparently.

Need a Username

biddyearley wrote: »

immigration officer tried to keep my passport wanted me to pay to give it back. Scam central the whole place. Want to jump the queue? Flash a US dollar, you're straight to the top. whatever you want, security men/cops/soldiers will kick everyone out of the way for a buck. Everything about the place is bad. Cairo is a giant collapsing city, and it's to do with Nasser freezing all rents at 1954 rates to the current day. From my 14th floor the clouds were the smog of 3 million vehicles on the streets. No car lanes so no lane discipline. Dead donkeys and horses dumped in the irrigation canals. Plastic choking the rivers and canals, as if the recycling lorries just tipped stuff in 24/7. Scam central, the whole place. Topped by a violent military which controls everything and pulls people off the street at a whim.



It's all in Allah's hands, apparently.

But other than that you’d recommend it as a fun place to visit with the family?

boardise

toss up between DRCongo and Burkina Faso

Kaybaykwah

biddyearley wrote: »

immigration officer tried to keep my passport wanted me to pay to give it back. Scam central the whole place. Want to jump the queue? Flash a US dollar, you're straight to the top. whatever you want, security men/cops/soldiers will kick everyone out of the way for a buck. Everything about the place is bad. Cairo is a giant collapsing city, and it's to do with Nasser freezing all rents at 1954 rates to the current day. From my 14th floor the clouds were the smog of 3 million vehicles on the streets. No car lanes so no lane discipline. Dead donkeys and horses dumped in the irrigation canals. Plastic choking the rivers and canals, as if the recycling lorries just tipped stuff in 24/7. Scam central, the whole place. Topped by a violent military which controls everything and pulls people off the street at a whim.



It's all in Allah's hands, apparently.

Is it any wonder then, why the U.S. deemed the pyramid an appropriate symbol to stick smack dab on the dollar bill?

The home of the pyramid scheme. In God We Trust!

ShatterAlan

Montage of Feck wrote: »

Iran, as the successor of the Persian empire, has got three thousand years of history and culture going on, so don't rule it out completely.

Plus the most beautiful women in the world.

Need a Username

Kaybaykwah wrote: »

Is it any wonder then, why the U.S. deemed the pyramid an appropriate symbol to stick smack dab on the dollar bill?

The home of the pyramid scheme. In God We Trust!

Have you got Disney+?

Gravity Falls explains all that

323

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh, I know. My first few years in Asia were hell. Get bitten and the bites would swell up huge, more than they did for the rest of my friends. Average evening would be 5-7 bites, and more than once I took to bed early because the effects the bites had on me, sweating off a fever just from the bites themselves.

The garlic is great because you actually sweat the scent of the garlic, or something like that. It was explained to me, but I didn't really understand the explanation, however, I know that it works. The added advantage is that a regular intake of garlic will also help with the skin rashes (Jock itch), and other issues that often arise in Asia or Africa.

Aye, garlic is great. Also Brewers Yeast, works even better, works for 8/9 out of 10 people for some reason, far as I remember. Was first told about it >20 years ago by a friend in the medical business who came across it is some journal or other. Dirt cheap old food supplement for your vitamin B's. Take it before going and when in the tropics, particularly malarial areas, been in bars surrounded by mossies, no bites when others getting eaten alive.

If the wee buggers do get you, Aloe Vera, straight from the plant is one of the best, otherwise for travel, Aloe deodorant stick, purer the better, stops the itching in minutes. Equally good, I hadn't known till recently is the white Tiger Balm, I didn't take the brewers yeast a while back on a trip to asia, got eaten, stopped in a chemist. Girl gave me two options, first one, $20 dollars, "no good", second option $1, the white tiger balm, works best she said.

Esho

Car99 wrote: »

The Republic of Cork, very condescending county with a chip on its shoulder about being second best.

I've been exiled there for some time now.
The people are so, so sound. It reminds me of Dublin pre Celtic tiger.

Dublin I'd need to be paid to be in now tbh.

Esho

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Plus the most beautiful women in the world.

Yes, stunning.

Need a Username

Car99 wrote: »

The Republic of Cork, very condescending county with a chip on its shoulder about being second best.

What scallywag told Cork it was second best at anything?

dasdog

323 wrote: »

Aye, garlic is great. Also Brewers Yeast, works even better, works for 8/9 out of 10 people for some reason, far as I remember.

...the white tiger balm

Interesting - I eat a lot of garlic and never really had a problem with mossies when others were being savaged but anything to stop the feckers.

Kathmandu is one city I wouldn't be in a rush to go back to. It looks like it's just been hit by an earthquake and the tourist areas are just swamped with people trying to sell you tiger balm and hash. Actually hashish is so prevalent I met some lads I knew coming back from Oz overland and even though they were broke refused my offer of about half a quarter of black as they had so much already. I was just burning it to watch it burn at one point. The countryside of Nepal is quite lovely though as are the people.

I flat refuse to ever visit Qatar or any nouveau riche ME petro state.

SupaCat95

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

Irish troops served there for over 3 years as part on the UN.

Sex tourism ahoy!! I love that quote from Black adder.

"I joined the Army when it was just travel agency for men with an unusually high sex drive". Capt. Edmund Black Adder.

ShatterAlan

Hamachi wrote: »

Shame you’ve ruled out Israel. Only been to Tel Aviv, but I really enjoyed it.

Would NEVER go to that place.

Hamachi

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Would NEVER go to that place.

User name does NOT check out..

breezy1985

Yurt! wrote: »

Thailand is also one of the best gastronomic countries in the world. Even the street food is prepared well in 99 percent of cases. Anyone worried about the scuts there is denying themselves one of the best cuisines. As above, use your brain and you'll be fine.

Used to work in a Thai restaurant where they defrosted the chickens in open containers on the roof and the kitchen was literally crawling with all sorts.

Would still happily eat there tomorrow though

Esho

Deleted User wrote: »

I didn't have any issues. Went through Egypt, Jordan, Iran, and then Israel about 6 years ago, all during the same holiday period. Some raised eyebrows but no real examination of what I'd been doing in any of the countries. I've been back to Israel twice since then, and Iran, once more.

Absolutely, loved both Israel and Iran. Neither are really like how they're described abroad. Spent most of the time around the various universities, and had a blast. People were lovely, and I don't think I met anyone who was rude.

I've met a lot of people (expats living China) since then who have been to both countries, and everyone seems to have their own perspective, positive or negative. They're both countries that people seem to either love or hate. Little space for a middle ground viewpoint.

Despite the bad press , I'd like to visit Israel.
A country full of the most successful , hard-working type of people in the world.

Yurt2

Esho wrote: »

Despite the bad press , I'd like to visit Israel.
A country full of the most successful , hard-working type of people in the world.

Maybe the secular Jewish population. The Orthodox Haredi community has a huge unemployment problem: males spend their days studying in the yeshiva and the women at home barefoot and pregnant. Their population is expected to double in the next 15 years to about 30% of the country, while secular Jews have low birthrates like Europeans.

Never mind reconciling themselves with the Arab population within their borders and Palestinians without in the occupied territories, Israel is going to have a reckoning day with its Orthodox community. The secular and religious communities' values are growing further apart by the year. Israelis I've met speak about them with barely concealed contempt.

Esho

Esho wrote: »

Despite the bad press , I'd like to visit Israel.

Just be non-political, and avoid the BS of those taking some self-perceived high moral stand. That way you can spend time in all of the M.East, and encountering a culture/people is far better, when you leave that stuff out of the equation.

A country full of the most successful , hard-working type of people in the world.

TBH, I'd say that to be Japan. But Israel is impressive.

breezy1985

Esho wrote: »

Despite the bad press , I'd like to visit Israel.
A country full of the most successful , hard-working type of people in the world.

Is this a wind up.

They certainly know how to get houses built under difficult circumstances.

SupaCat95

breezy1985 wrote: »

Used to work in a Thai restaurant where they defrosted the chickens in open containers on the roof and the kitchen was literally crawling with all sorts.

Would still happily eat there tomorrow though

There are two things you should never see made, Comedy and Kebabs!
Thank you folks I am here until the weekend.

cagefactor

cagefactor wrote: »

Ivory Coast

Any country that gets the tricolour so wrong has serious issues going on.

biddyearley

Need a Username wrote: »

But other than that you’d recommend it as a fun place to visit with the family?

Yes if you want to get rid of the wife and kids and start afresh. Isis might blow their bus up or you could offload them to some Nubian who likes white women.

Pinoy adventure

Bambi wrote: »

The Philippines is pretty westernised...

HAha good 1
It's more Americanized than westernised.
Hence your called joe quiet a bit

Genre..

Genre.. wrote: »

We're conditioned to believing Iran is bad

That's all I've ever heard about Iran from big government

Just on this: it's not great if you're a woman, but a different and more positive experience if you're a man.

For example, I was there working but not welcome to sit in the lobby of my hotel. If I ordered room service I was not to open the door but wait for the server to leave and bring it in myself, I could use the gym during one designated womens hour but I couldn't use the pool at all because the demand for it from men was too high to waste time on ladies. This was all doled out with great charm, but it was still oppressive. I had to get a ladies taxi with a woman driver to work.

That said, everyone was absolutely lovely to me and I've never seen so many gorgeous people in one place before. They also have the best coffee shops in the world, absolutely amazing coffee/ tea and cakes. So famous that when the Persians emigrated to India that Irani cafes were absolutely renowned, especially in ND. Sadly, there are hardly any left, and numbers of Parsis (AKA Parsee) are dwindling so much that financial incentives are quite substantial for each baby.

Iran is a great place, but be extremely circumspect, especially if a woman.

ETA: The one and only place I would prefer never to be in again is Pakistan. Unfortunately, I will be.

Esho

SupaCat95 wrote: »

They always slip some darnel in with the wheat. Africa is an untapped goldmine of wealth. You can also try out massive vaccines and medicines for pre approval testing. Just tie them all up with HIV medications and what not. The shennighans that go on over there are unreal.

Beware of Greeks baring gifts. NGOs and charities are always upto some scam even if it is just of sex tourism.

Heard about the sec tourism, any other sources for the others?

Esho

Polar101 wrote: »

Saudi Arabia, but currently also crisis zones like Yemen or Myanmar.

There are plenty of countries I wouldn't really want to visit, but if I got paid to visit I could be persuaded.

Saudi Arabia for def - can't stand the Wahabi types here, and that's a country full of them.

Esho

Yurt! wrote: »

Maybe the secular Jewish population. The Orthodox Haredi community has a huge unemployment problem: males spend their days studying in the yeshiva and the women at home barefoot and pregnant. Their population is expected to double in the next 15 years to about 30% of the country, while secular Jews have low birthrates like Europeans.

Never mind reconciling themselves with the Arab population within their borders and Palestinians without in the occupied territories, Israel is going to have a reckoning day with its Orthodox community. The secular and religious communities' values are growing further apart by the year. Israelis I've met speak about them with barely concealed contempt.

Interesting, thanks. So it's in every country that the super religious are trouble makers.

biddyearley

Esho wrote: »

Despite the bad press , I'd like to visit Israel.
A country full of the most successful , hard-working type of people in the world.

Really worth a visit. TelAviv like NYCs West Village. Terrific beaches, nice people. Jerusalem beautifully planned if a little quiet. Red Sea area interesting. Safest country to visit, and people when you get chatting to them delighted to have Irish visit. A hidden gem.

DodoDojo

India, it just looks so filthy and is so backwards in so many ways. Cant see any appeal in it whatsoever and I do love most Asian cultures and places I've visited.


Any videos I see of people travelling there just turn me off completely(example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlG2NnyXSto&ab_channel=KarlRockKarlRockVerified)

Also literally every single person I know who went there got Delhi Belly. I cant imagine a worse place to be in the world to get the Sh**ts, where it’s just a filthy hole in the ground with a communal soap and bucket of water to clean up.

SupaCat95

Esho wrote: »

Heard about the sec tourism, any other sources for the others?

yeah loads of stories about soldiers with the natives. The Irish contingent have a had a few children left behind. I am sure there are many more we dont hear about. One girl from the Congo wanted an Irish passport afterwards.

Now there is Oxfam, UN and who heap of other charities NGO that dismissed a few execs. Y'know if one is at it then they are all probably at it at that level.

Medical Trials in Africa? So when you are preparing medication for DFA trials you need a minimum of 1 in 10,000 rejection rate, minimum sample size 30,000. Where are you going to find people that desperate to sign up to do cocktails of drugs with no clue or corporate responsibility? Africa.

You were wondering why Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were falling over themselves to ease up on generic HIV cocktails? They were mixing in testing samples as well. So those are the Alpha trials? The Beta trials is when they are almost sure it is near perfect and they are done in the Western hemisphere.

Esho

breezy1985 wrote: »

Is this a wind up.

They certainly know how to get houses built under difficult circumstances.

No wind up, all the Jews I know have a 7th gear or something, and are amazing people.
That said, none of them are Israelis.

jmreire

Candie wrote: »

Just on this: it's not great if you're a woman, but a different and more positive experience if you're a man.

For example, I was there working but not welcome to sit in the lobby of my hotel. If I ordered room service I was not to open the door but wait for the server to leave and bring it in myself, I could use the gym during one designated womens hour but I couldn't use the pool at all because the demand for it from men was too high to waste time on ladies. This was all doled out with great charm, but it was still oppressive. I had to get a ladies taxi with a woman driver to work.

That said, everyone was absolutely lovely to me and I've never seen so many gorgeous people in one place before. They also have the best coffee shops in the world, absolutely amazing coffee/ tea and cakes. So famous that when the Persians emigrated to India that Irani cafes were absolutely renowned, especially in ND. Sadly, there are hardly any left, and numbers of Parsis (AKA Parsee) are dwindling so much that financial incentives are quite substantial for each baby.

Iran is a great place, but be extremely circumspect, especially if a woman.

ETA: The one and only place I would prefer never to be in again is Pakistan. Unfortunately, I will be.

100% agreement with you on Iran......great Country, great people, bad government.For Pakistan, ( in my view ) a lot depends on where you are based. Karachi, I found to be seriously overcrowded, Islamabad a bit less so. I found Peshawar to be OK ( was sometimes security issues when I was there. } Another place that I liked while there was Muzzafarabad. Fantastic scenery, if you were Ok with driving on some seriously dangerous roads. Would not mind going back again if I had too, say in preference to Darfur, but I would much prefer to go somewhere that I had not been before.

john123470

DodoDojo wrote: »

India, it just looks so filthy and is so backwards in so many ways. Cant see any appeal in it whatsoever and I do love most Asian cultures and places I've visited.


Any videos I see of people travelling there just turn me off completely(example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlG2NnyXSto&ab_channel=KarlRockKarlRockVerified)

Also literally every single person I know who went there got Delhi Belly. I cant imagine a worse place to be in the world to get the Sh**ts, where it’s just a filthy hole in the ground with a communal soap and bucket of water to clean up.

The above could be a verbatim / post mortem / report for a bad pint down the local

.. but .. Factor in the acid trip of colour, drink your senses dry - sights and sounds that is India ..

.. does that beat yet another rainy day down some gomboreen hole in Eireland ?

Theres your Acid test

DodoDojo

DodoDojo wrote: »

India, it just looks so filthy and is so backwards in so many ways. Cant see any appeal in it whatsoever and I do love most Asian cultures and places I've visited.

Also literally every single person I know who went there got Delhi Belly. I cant imagine a worse place to be in the world to get the Sh**ts, where it’s just a filthy hole in the ground with a communal soap and bucket of water to clean up.

Ditto. It takes a lot to gross me out, and India is top of the list there. I'd thought poorer areas of China or Africa were bad (which they were), but India shocked me, and worse yet, they embrace that kind of living. Ugh. Dead bodies in the streets, and when the water rises in the towns/cities, the dodgy sewers open up to bring everything out into the open.

Also, while other countries/cultures have the same, India still shocks me for the differences between the rich, and the poor. It's brutal, and yet, you rarely hear anyone talking about it.

Yup. I have zero desire every to visit India again. I did one extended trip, and while there were some interesting sights, and some lovely people, it didn't balance out with the loonies, the poverty, the disgusting lack of hygiene, etc. Ugh. Never again.

john123470

john123470 wrote: »

The above could be a verbatim / post mortem / report for a bad pint down the local

.. but .. Factor in the acid trip of colour, drink your senses dry - sights and sounds that is India ..

.. does that beat yet another rainy day down some gomboreen hole in Eireland ?

Theres your Acid test

From direct experience, I'd take Ireland easily over being back in India. Doesn't matter if it's in Dublin, Athlone, Thurles, or even Longford... Ireland is light years better than India.

biddyearley

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

I can confirm that Iran is indeed a great place with amazing, intelligent people.

Was it hard not avoid banging your head off the feet of people hanging from cranes?

breezy1985

john123470 wrote: »

The above could be a verbatim / post mortem / report for a bad pint down the local

.. but .. Factor in the acid trip of colour, drink your senses dry - sights and sounds that is India ..

.. does that beat yet another rainy day down some gomboreen hole in Eireland ?

Theres your Acid test

Sorry now but we are not dumping our Covid dead in the rivers and letting vast potions of the population live without proper sanitation. I'm also not bricking it every time my sister gets a bus in this gombeen hole

As acid tests go India would fail most as a civilization unless you are lucky enough to be born into an upper cast

john123470

[Deleted User] wrote: »

From direct experience, I'd take Ireland easily over being back in India. Doesn't matter if it's in Dublin, Athlone, Thurles, or even Longford... Ireland is light years better than India.

For creature comforts, yes

But .. living on the edge .. negotiating 10 lane traffic of cow drawn carts, lunatic cyclists, stray donkeys in any city .. that is India

.. least you get to say you was there ... ran with the bulls .. and survived to say ..
'Even Thurles is better than this .. on a rainy day .. '

Memories eh

john123470

john123470 wrote: »

For creature comforts, yes

But .. living on the edge .. negotiating 10 lane traffic of cow drawn carts, lunatic cyclists, stray donkeys in any city .. that is India

.. least you get to say you was there ... ran with the bulls .. and survived to say ..
'Even Thurles is better than this .. on a rainy day .. '

Memories eh

Huh? Ireland is still better than India. Personally, I'd say that Ireland ranks pretty high compared to most countries, once someone has gained some extensive experience of living abroad.

The lack of severe corruption, lack of police brutality, lack of serious crime, fairly temperate weather, lack of pollution, decent quality of natural foods, etc. all place Ireland as being superior.

Experience has taught me to appreciate Ireland. Sure, there are a rake of downsides, but they're pretty minor compared to most other nations.

As for Thurles.. I lived there for three years, and I wouldn't want to return.. but if my only other option was something equivalent in India.. yeah.. I'd jump at Ireland instead.

john123470

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Huh? Ireland is still better than India

The lack of severe corruption, lack of police brutality, lack of serious crime, fairly temperate weather, lack of pollution, decent quality of natural foods, etc. all place Ireland as being superior.

Sure, there are a rake of downsides

Lols .. lack of police brutality - how about lack of Police .. i've forgotten what the uniform looks like - navy, wasn't it

'Lack of severe corruption' - well, i can't argue there. Its not severe enough yet by all accounts

Lookit, lets face it .. you took the wrong drugs in India and you didn't manage to get laid ..
Then you got Delhi' belli and mosquitoes made your life a living hell... and all this has coloured your perception of India..

G'wan .. admit it.
Man up

breezy1985

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Huh? Ireland is still better than India. Personally, I'd say that Ireland ranks pretty high compared to most countries, once someone has gained some extensive experience of living abroad.

The lack of severe corruption, lack of police brutality, lack of serious crime, fairly temperate weather, lack of pollution, decent quality of natural foods, etc. all place Ireland as being superior.

Experience has taught me to appreciate Ireland. Sure, there are a rake of downsides, but they're pretty minor compared to most other nations.

As for Thurles.. I lived there for three years, and I wouldn't want to return.. but if my only other option was something equivalent in India.. yeah.. I'd jump at Ireland instead.

Things are going pretty bad if people leave your country thinking christ ide rather be in Thurles

BeerWolf

The ME.

kowloonkev

If I was paid to go, or if my trip was paid for of course I would go anywhere. There's no point in being small minded about different political ideologies or regimes. It's better to go to places and understand more about them than having assumptions given to me by others.

daniel_h

Russia, Belarus, Hungary...

mcgragger

India. Without a shadow of a doubt I'd absolutely hate it.
Too many people and filthy according to what I've seen on TV and heard from people that were there. I don't think I'd be relaxed for one minute