Dublin - City Guide

WITH friendly locals and a compact city centre it is easy to see just why Dublin has become such a desirable weekend break destination for Brits.

With bubbling enthusiasm my girlfriend and I rose at the crack of dawn for what was our first overseas trip together and we were soon in the car on our way to Exeter Airport.

Within hours we had landed, found our way out of the airport and boarded a bus in the general direction of the city centre, hastily disembarking when the driver announced the name of Parnell Square.

“One moment sir, I’ll just check for you,” said a friendly convenience store cashier as he halted a queue of people picking up their groceries to respond to my request for directions.

Despite the frustration of the local shoppers, he consulted Google Maps on his iPhone and sent me off up the road to the doorstep of our hotel.

As it was too early to check in, we threw our bags behind the front desk and immediately went out and purchased tickets for one of the city’s sightseeing tours.

I often hear people say that the buses are tourist gimmicks, but in my experience they allow for you to suss out the city and pinpoint landmarks that you wish to visit for a relatively reasonable price (19euros for 24 hours).

As the bus made its way down the shopping haven of O’Connell Street we passed a remarkably large pointed building, one which although I cannot remember how or why it was constructed, was an awe-inspiring sight.

On the other side of the street our pre-recorded tour guide pointed out the General Post Office, a building still scarred with bullet holes from the 1916 uprising.

The General Post Office is one of the many buildings in the city that feature prominently in tales of the Irish struggle under British rule prior to nation’s independence.

Geographically Dublin is compact, easy to navigate once you get a general idea of how it is laid out. The cityfolk welcome you to their city with open arms and are fiercely proud of where they are from.

We checked out the former houses of Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift before arriving at Kilmainham Gaol. For just four euros we were treated to a guided tour, the knowledgeable guide telling us all about how the prison housed a number of key figures in the various Irish uprising and at one point was bursting at the scenes holding five times its official capacity of prisoners, all forced to live in terrible conditions.

The gaol is one of a score of landmarks worth visiting by day. Along with the impressive and historic Trinity College and St Paul’s Cathedral, there are lists of attractions all within walking distance either side of the River Liffey that divides the city.

In terms of evening outings, much of the city’s vibrant nightlife is centred in the bustling Temple Bar area.

 

Temple Bar consists of a plethora of restaurants and bars where locals and tourists rub shoulders as they sink pints of Guinness to the tune of traditional Irish songs.

Despite a high presence of British stag and hen dos, the city has managed to retain its character and avoids that knife-edge night-time atmopshere associated with the likes of Benidorm, Malia and Magaluf.

In three days in the Irish capital I never once felt threatened and this despite inadvertently stumbling into a colourful protest by angry protestors against the water rates.

The restaurant and bar staff was all cheerful and welcoming, presumably because they get to live in such a beautiful and charismatic city.

Although  a pint will set you back around five euros, I found the city reasonably priced and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to couples, families or groups of lads looking for a good piss up.

Sunset Sihanoukville

The gateway to Amkar Thom

Fun in the sea, Sihanoukville

The boys enjoying pub street.

Vietnam/Cambodia 2015

Travelling around Thailand in September left me with a thirst for South East Asia that could only be quenched with further exploration of the region.

When a good friend of mine who serves in the armed forces and is currently based on a remote island in the Indian Ocean suggested we caught up, a whistle-stop tour of Vietnam and Cambodia seemed the obvious location.

With another friend in tow, I boarded a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, the largest city in the country.

Excessive drinking and foolish tattoos aside, I found Ho Chi Minh City to be a city with little obvious trace of a communist government, despite being one of the last remaining socialist states.

Ho Chi Minh reminded me of Bangkok in terms of its bustle, everywhere you look business booms with leading global names and locals competing to get you into their bars and restaurants.

I’m told that the main state control involves industries like fuel and I’m not fully aware and qualified to comment on how the state operates, but what was apparent was the pride and patriotism of the Vietnamese people.

Flags hang from doorways and all the locals seem proud of the fact that their people have seen off various military threats over the years.

Our sightseeing tours included a trip to the war museum which included exhibits from the conflict with America. Particularly distressing were the images of deformed people who are still suffering as a result of agent orange, a herbicide sprayed by American jets.

Also of poignant interest was a trip to the Chi Chi Tunnels, a network of underground tunnels that Vietcong troops used when the conflict raged.

We were shown the barbaric traps used to keep the American soldiers at bay and even went into the tunnels ourselves. They were incredibly narrow , dark and sweltering and it was hard to believe that 25,000 fighters would be down there during the airstrikes.

Light relief from learning about the complex conflict came in the form of a spectacular waterpark with little regard for health and safety and many drinks, which culminated in me committing the cardinal sin. Wandering off drunk alone and returning minus a wallet.

Fortunately my bank was efficient and fast in returning my money and so we proceeded into Cambodia.

Arriving in Phnom Penh we did wonder slightly what we had let ourselves in for.

The part of the city we arrived in looked more like deprived areas of India, with manic traffic and dirty looking people trading in makeshift shacks.

After a dining mix-up and a relatively early night we headed to the Killing Fields.

For those who aren’t aware, they are a series of sites across Cambodia where former leader Pol Pot executed those who didn’t fit his vision of a communist workers utopia when he seized power.

We wandered around the site examining the relics, guided by our tour headphones and to contemplate the barbaric atrocities that took place in the grounds was a harrowing experience, similar to a trip to a concentration camp I had undertaken many years earlier.

The site still featured bones of the victims who were often bludgeoned to death as bullets were considered too expensive.

After a night spent sampling the city’s nightlife and uncovering a far more glamorous area of the city, we headed for the beach paradise of Sihanoukville, or so we thought.

In a mad rush we boarded the bus that we thought was heading that way, only to twig part way into the journey that we were instead destined for Kampot.

After arriving in Kampot and finding a bed for the night, the quiet riverside town actually provided a nice night’s respite, as we took a cruise down a river to check out the beautiful fireflies who buzz around the trees on the water’s edge.

The next morning we double checked, and got on the correct bus bound for Sihanoukville.

Sihanoukville presented a mix of idyllic beaches and crazy nightlife.

The town provided us with little in the way of culture as we spent our days drinking on the white sand beach until sunset, before joining the other backpackers indulging in cheap booze and other questionable substances that we did not dare try.

With our bodies pushed to the limit we were somewhat glad to escape Sihanoukville and touch down in Siem Reap an old colonial town and home of the world famous heritage site Angkor Wat.

We felt it as our duty to rise at 4:30am to head to Angkor Wat to watch sunrise. Suspecting that we would be some of only few was a mistake, it seemed every visitor to Siem Reap made the trek and joins the scrum for the perfect photograph.

After inspecting other, arguably more impressive temples, we grabbed some rest before heading out for a night on the backpacker’s haven Pub Street and contemplating another looming hangover.

We then headed back to Ho Chi Minh City in preparation of our flight home.

Although I missed my girlfriend at home terribly, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to visit two countries so rich in culture, butwith such a barbaric recent history.

My two travel companions were great fun and we didn’t conflict at all despite our fair share of mishaps.

Given more time we would have liked to have headed to north Vietnam and places such as the world famous Ha Long Bay, but I remain content that we squeezed in as much as our two weeks allowed.

With Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand all conquered in parts, I think it is unlikely that I’ll travel to that part of the world again soon, however friendly locals, rich culture, low prices, hot weather and beautiful scenery will continue to attract visitors for years to come.

I am now back at my desk job and returning to my routine of working, studying for a promotion, sport and spending time with Lucy.

In September we will travel to Croatia for a week, another country that I have heard rave reviews about and look forward to visiting.

My thought on whether Ched Evans should be once again allowed to play professional football

As a Plymouth Argyle fan I could well be accused of displaying bias when it comes to my views on former prisoners picking up where they left off and returning to their former employment on release.

Back in 2008, our excellent goalkeeper Luke McCormick was sent to prison for causing death by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol.

McCormick was returning from former teammate David Norris’ wedding when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a car killing two young boys.

McCormick was reacting to allegation that his girlfriend was having an affair and after having only a few hours of sleep, got in his car and headed north to confront her.

While what he did was inexcusable, he has since served his time and returned to the club he made his name at, via spells at Truro City and Oxford United.

Since returning, McCormick (who reportedly donates some of his salary to charity) has been an outstanding performer and spoken naturally of his regret.

It is clear that he didn’t go out meaning to kill anybody, but he committed a terrible error of judgement that he has to live with every day.

He has since served the sentence handed to him by the courts and I believe that there is no reason as to why he couldn’t resume his career, after all, the whole idea of prison is to rehabilitate offenders.

It’s undoubtedly tragic that these two children lost their lives, but ultimately the sentence has been served and McCormick has every right to return to work, as would a builder or postman.

Not condoning what happened but there’s also an element of bad luck involved. The majority of people that I know have operated a car when they shouldn’t have, but either injured themselves, crashed the car or made it home unscathed.

That said, drink driving is still inexcusable and is against the law for a reason.

Like thousands of others, I sit in the stands and applaud and sing the name of McCormick for his services to Plymouth Argyle Football Club. Watching his appreciation of the support, it is clear how much the second chance issued to him by the fans means to him.

This leads nicely onto the next subject, you guessed it, Ched Evans.

As I’m sure you all know, former Sheffield United and Wales striker Ched Evans was recently released from prison and has announced that he’s looking to get back into football.

Evans has since been linked with several clubs, and at the time of writing all of the clubs have since withdrawn their interest after angry backlashes and petitions from fans.

Personally, the Evans case strikes me as a little odd. He was convicted of raping a drunk girl after a night out, but quite why a good looking professional footballer would have to rape someone is beyond me.

Evans has always disputed the conviction and the fact the court heard she was too drunk to give consent was odd, but that said, they did find enough evidence to convict him and send him to prison.
Fellow footballer and Evans' good friend Clayton McDonald was also on trial but curiously acquitted despite McDonald taking the woman back to a hotel room and both men having sex with the woman, claiming it was consensual.

He is in the midst of an appeal which will go a long way as to proving if his name will be cleared (and awarded a handsome amount of damages) or if the mud will stick.

In the meantime, I believe that Evans has every right to continue his football career as ultimately, he has served the sentence given to him.

It might also be a lot easier for him as opposed to McCormick because as an outfield player he is free to roam the pitch, whereas McCormick stands in the goal with nowhere to run from the fans’ abuse, even if admittedly it has faded to sporadic incidents of late.

What did surprise me is that Evans’ now fiancé stuck by him, as even if he is eventually acquitted or rape, he is at least a cheat.

He has since vowed to clear his name and promised to carry out work in the community if he does get a new club.
It has also been commented that Evans hasn't said sorry, but if he is in the appeal process he clearly believes he is innocent and if true, he shouldn't have to be sorry.

For players and former inmates like Evans and McCormick, and the likes of Lee Hughes and Marlon King (someone who is undoubtedly a nasty piece of work), all they know is football.

If Evans fails to find a route back into football, it is unlikely he will have other qualification to fall back on as Manchester City took him on as a full-time professional straight from school.

If he earns a contract, he will pay his taxes like everyone else, if not it is likely that he will be living off ours.

Thailand 2014

I sit here at my desk on a surprisingly warm Wednesday September afternoon and it’s clear that after one deadline and two days of being back at work, I’ve slipped seamlessly back into reality.

Before travelling to Thailand I’d heard so many tales, both horror stories and glowing references but after three weeks travelling the country I have nothing but positive things to say about such a culturally diverse and fascinatingly traditional land.

After a gruelling flight we touched down in Bangkok, a city that I expected to conform to the south East Asian capital city stereotype of being chaotic and dirty.

We hopped in a taxi from the airport that delivered us safely to Khao San Road, a legendary backpacker street bristling with life.

On every corner street food merchants sell traditional Thai dishes and you can tuck into a tasty Pad Thai for less than £1.

We were also warned to keep an eye out for shady tuk-tuk drivers, but in our experience we travelled cheaply and quickly without any funny business. Maybe it was the fact we were a travelling trio of burly (me not so much) men, but either way we found the drivers to be punctual and fair, always arriving on time at pre-arranged pick-up points.

Our first stint in Bangkok was dedicated to eating, drinking and sightseeing. We were luckily enough to take in the Grand Palace and a number of Buddhist temples, really impressive structures that have a mystical aura about them.

For our final night in the capital we went to watch some Muay Thai, a form of kickboxing that is Thailand’s national sport. The stadium was packed and the crowd ‘ohh’d and ahh’d’ with every kick and punch. There must have been 15,000 packed into the compact arena and the atmosphere was more akin to a football match.

From Bangkok we flew south to Krabi where we were treated to more great food and beautiful beaches. A lot of the seascape is dotted with huge natural mounds which really make for a dramatic beaching experience.

In Krabi we were luckily enough to stumble upon a beach inhabited by friendly monkeys who happily climbed over us and tried to steal any loose object that we had. We also rode elephants and it isn’t until you’re on top of one that you really comprehend how magnificent and huge the animals really are.

After several days body surfing the warm water at the various beaches on the Andaman Sea, we headed to Ko Phi Phi, a stunning island that provided the setting for the Leonardo Di Caprio film The Beach.

After a frighteningly stormy boat journey we arrived in Ko Phi Phi and found no roads, just dusty tracks winding around the island.

The view from the island’s Viewpoint was stunning, looking out over a mixture of golden sands, green forestry and a packed island centre.

The island has an ambient nightlife with beach parties entertaining party-goers and going on well into the early hours.

We were fortunate enough to hire a water taxi and a knowledgeable driver ferried us to snorkelling spots where we swam with the most spectacular tropical fish and even small sharks.

The sharks didn’t trouble us, but it is worth noting that the monkeys on Phi Phi’s Monkey Beach aren’t as friendly as their Krabi counterparts, a bite on the back of my leg being testament to that.

After a busy few days in Phi Phi we embarked on a somewhat calmer boat trip to neighbouring Phuket.

Phuket was one of the first Thai resorts to gain global prominence and that has played a part in its downfall. Patong is a great place to be at night, people spotting heaven with bars brimming with people, but during the day it leaves a lot to be desired.

Overdeveloped and overpopulated with people trying to make a quick buck, Phuket does however offer excellent shopping opportunities where you can pick up authentic looking goods for knockdown price.

With time running out we jetted north to Chaing Mai, a city for which I had high expectations.

Situated in the mountains, Chaing Mai is a historic city, with regulations in place to limit development in the old town.

We hired bicycles and checked out the old town which features even more impressive Buddhist temples than Bangkok. Well worth an afternoon looking around.

We also checked out Tiger Kingdom and although docile due to being hand reared, being up close to the magnificent creatures really hits home how majestic they are and how sad it is that there numbers are becoming limited.

Chaing Mai also boasts a buzzing nightlife. A splattering of bars and clubs in the old town play host to a crowd comprised of local students and backpackers and DJs spin the right kind of beats to keep you on the dancefloor.

We then shot back to Bangkok for a couple of days present shopping, sorting out loose ends for the trip home and checking out the Nana Plaza, the world’s biggest red light district, but that’s a story for the other day.

Given more time I would have loved to explore south east Asia further and take in the likes of Vietnam and Cambodia, but I had to get home and return to my work at the West Briton newspaper.

I have no regrets from my time in Thailand; we visited so many places, took in so many sights and found the country to be cheap and the people to be most approachable and friendly.

I’m now back at work trying to unearth local news happening on my patch.

In terms of my next adventure, I have to hold tight until the new year when I receive my next entitlement of annual leave.

I have long since regretted not visiting Mexico when I was so close in South California and this week I learned of strong links between Cornwall and Mexico due to the large volume of migrants who made the journey looking for work.

Watch this space…