10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis en-us If you're feeling disillusioned with the human species and feel that life today equals the rat race you need to go to Burning Man. If you love festivals and want to see the ultimate in festival madness you need to go to Burning Man. In short, if you are a traveler, a natural nomad who finds your values at odds with today's world, this is Mecca! Black Rock City Nevada, United States Denis Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:17:32 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1199 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1199 In 1996 I visited Belfast with a group of kids from England, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. The purpose of bringing together these kids was so we could all learn a little about each other and realise that the whole situation in Northern Ireland could be resolved by people like us seeing the humanity in each other. In a round about sort of way this is just what has happened at a political level. Moderates and then extremists from both sides gradually came to the glaring realisation that encouraging peace was in everyone's interest. The peace process began in earnest two years after my first visit. In 2006 I went back for the first time since, what I found was nothing short of shocking. Belfast, United Kingdom Denis Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:57:49 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1197 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1197 All of the things that visitors associate with Holland are oddly lacking in The Hague. That is unless of course the visitor in question has done their homework and knows that the Dutch are well renowned for their efficiency, punctuality, wild night life and penchant for cheese. Den Haag presents no canals, no tulips, no windmills, no clogs and few coffee shops (though there used to be a very nice one on a boat if you are inclined to go on a search). The Netherlands effectively has two capitals (some Dutch people even claim 3 including Rotterdam), Amsterdam and The Hague. Yet strangely enough this doesn't seem to lead to hysterical rivalry- perhaps because the Amsterdammers are too busy giving Rotterdam a hard time. However this status as political capital gives The Hague a strange feeling. It's not all suits and diplomats as may be expected but rather a cosy, shopping oriented city sandwiched between two lovely smaller towns. Den Haag, Netherlands Denis Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:48:39 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1196 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1196 As an Irish man who travels a lot I never cease to be surprised by some of the out of date misconceptions that exist about my homeland. Indeed I remember meeting an American girl in Vienna who lamented that her trip to Dublin had been such a disappointment because it was 'just a city'. And she would be correct; the Ireland of romantic green hills, pubs full of friendly characters and musicians and superstitious folk concerned about fairies is not to be found in Ireland of the 21st century and certainly not in the cities. However, if a little of the old Celtic magic is your sole reason for coming to Ireland then make no mistake about it, Galway is where you need to go! Galway, Ireland Denis Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:41:50 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1194 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1194 For such a tiny country Singapore truly bursts at the seams with diversity. While America struggles with the idea of being a melting pot Singapore is certainly the other end of the spectrum- the salad bowl. Not to suggest that it is a happy land of racial equality but rather that the distinct and various cultures that make up this small city state each claim their own space within it. From Little India to Chinatown and back via a swarm of British architecture there is a host of Asian and other cultures to be discovered in this compact country. Singapore, Singapore Denis Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:10:07 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1192 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1192 I had been in Dharamsala for three months straight: I knew that I wanted to visit some other places in India before I went home and for some reason Amritsar won out. It might have been the geographical proximity, it might have been my curiosity about the Seikh religion but one way or the other, I'm very glad we settled on the heartland of this noble religion. Amritsar, India Denis Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:44:07 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1170 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1170 I am writing this piece with one mission and one mission alone- to dispel the prevailing attitude that Brussels is boring and lacking in soul. Yes Brussels is strange and there are many strange people there. Yes it is tangibly confused in its multi-lingual almost federal capital of Europe identity and YES there are a whole lot of diplomats there. But focusing on these aspects has led to a tendency to overlook the very positive, attractive aspects of this rather grand European capital. Brussels, Belgium Denis Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:07:28 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1169 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1169 Coming from such an unpredictable climate as Ireland's I tend to assume that when people bring up the weather they are simply making small talk; offering some noise to fill a silence. Indeed when my Korean colleagues asked me at first about the weather in Ireland I was sure that this was just politeness. Not so! The phrase "In Korea we have four seasons" was repeated by each of my colleagues in turn as they broached the topic. We have four seasons too. Most areas that are anywhere above or below the tropics experience four seasons. But Korea, well they REALLY experience the four seasons. Hot, humid summers, springs full of cherry blossoms and mild temperatures, colourful autumns and freezing winters. It's all predictable too; if it's sunny when you wake up, it will probably be sunny all day. In other words hikers have no excuse to be bored. Korea, South Korea Denis Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:02:34 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1165 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1165 Living in Korea it's hard to escape speculation about the North. While the land across the border can easily seem a million miles away while you live a peaceful life as an English teacher it doesn't take much to remind you that the distance from Seoul to Pyeongyang is, in fact, tiny. After three years of brutal, devastating war a line was drawn across the Korean peninsula that was in reality not much different from where it had been at the start of the war. Dmz, South Korea Denis Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:59:02 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1167 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1167 Melaka shelters evidence of Dutch outposts, Portugese missionaries, Chinese immigrants, Arab traders, British influences and, of course, the Malays and it's not even that big. As if all this history wasn't enough for a history buff like me there was real live history unfolding at the time of my visit. From all over Indonesia, Thailand and the north of Malaysia tourists were eager to get out of the way of aid workers and refugees on the move after the 2004 tsunami that had devestated the region just days before. The hostels and bars were all buzzing with confused and disorientated backpackers recounting their near misses and swapping the obligatory 'where were you' stories. Adding to this slightly oppressive air of nearby tragedy was the rain that didn't let up for the duration of our stay. And even for all of this Melaka shone through. Melaka, Malaysia Denis Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:28:04 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/denis/experience/1156 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1156