User talk:Cacahuate/2006

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Mazar-e Sharif

Sorry to delete your links on the Mazar article, but according to Wikivoyage policy only links that come from a primary source are permitted (i.e. in the case of hotels, they would have to be the hotel's own website. In the case of the Blue Mosque, the web site would have to be operated by the mosque itself. However, on the left side of the page there is a bar link to the Wikipedia Mazar page, which will contain all the info that was deleted. By the way, due to the upheaval in Afghanistan, I think anyone considering visiting Mazar would be interested to know about the level of safety there, so any info you could add to the 'Stay safe' section on the page would be really useful. Thanks. (WT-en) WindHorse 05:55, 11 October 2006 (EDT)

Thanks for the up-date on the safety level in Mazar. The info you gave is quite encouraging for tourists, and it appears that most of the trouble is restricted to the south and Kandahar. Yes, you were correct, I deleted the info about Delhi Darbar by accident when I reverted the page. For your reference, here's the the Project:External links policy. Take care, and have a good a time in Herat. I hear that it is quite a pleasant town. (WT-en) WindHorse 12:09, 12 October 2006 (EDT)

Signature

I realized that you don't know how to sign your name. All you have to do to sign your name on Wikivoyage is type ~~~~ this spits out your username and a time stamp which looks like this: (WT-en) Sapphire 03:41, 15 October 2006 (EDT)

External links

External links sections are no longer used -- please see [1]. Only one official link to the city/region's tourist office is kept, and it's placed right at the front of the article. (WT-en) Jpatokal 02:32, 17 October 2006 (EDT)

oops, thanks! (WT-en) Cacahuate 02:52, 17 October 2006 (EDT)

Bombay/Mumbai

I am quite ambivalent about the whole thing. From an emotional point of view, they are two different cities really. — (WT-en) Ravikiran 15:00, 26 October 2006 (EDT)

Andamans

Were you in the Andamans recently? Can you help me plan my trip there? — (WT-en) Ravikiran 15:01, 14 November 2006 (EST)

I was there in March, but I don't think a lot has changed, I'll be glad to help - what are you planning, and for how long? I spent a month there, almost totally on Havelock Island, which is the most touristed (but still very calm). It's really the only place with good scuba diving at the moment, which was my main interest. If you're headed there I would definitely check out the new 'Island Vinnie's', they were building it when I was there and the same couple own 'Dive India', so I spent a lot of time with them. It should be safari style canvas tents and I'm sure a nice environment. If you're looking for a little more upmarket, Wild Orchid is the best place, with an awesome restaurant.

Neil Island is more quiet but some say slightly less nice beaches than Havelock. The other islands that are visitable as a foreigner offer much rougher experiences, good if you're looking to camp and have a more rugged experience. What else? (WT-en) Cacahuate 09:47, 15 November 2006 (EST)

p.s., some photos from my trip are here... (WT-en) Cacahuate 10:22, 15 November 2006 (EST)

That's some great photos. Thanks for the information. The thing is, it is my honeymoon and it is only a 4-5 day trip, so I can't be too adventurous and risk screwing everything up. On the other hand, I don't want to go in for one of those package tours where they hustle you from place to place without giving you a chance to do what you want. So basically, I'd like to know:

• Your general impression of how hassle free the tourism industry in Andaman is. Can I sitting here in the US (I am stuck here till Dec 19 and I will be going for my trip on Jan 17th) using email and phone, decide on an itinerary, book everything and pay by credit card and expect everything to just happen?
• What are the things I must do if I have only 5 days to spend? Don't say "scuba diving" because we will need to learn to do it first ;) I want to try out snorkelling though. Apart from that I guess it is worth spending a day at Port Blair? Where are the best beaches and the best sights? I find it interesting that the package tours do not cover Havelock Island much [2] while Wikivoyage currently says that it is the best place to go to. This kind of insider dope is much appreciated :)
• Any contacts, recommendations, etc. you can give me. You have mentioned a couple above, but any more would be appreciated. — (WT-en) Ravikiran 23:37, 15 November 2006 (EST)

I see, I checked out the makemytrip trips, they all basically keep you just around Port Blair and the surrounding sites, so I guess it comes down to what you're interested in and if you'd like to spend your 5 days moving the whole time to see as much as possible, or if you're looking to relax and stare at the sea, which is what I vote for.

I found it to be entirely hassle free, there's really no hustle at all, everyone's very relaxed and enjoyable. Port Blair is a little busy, sort of, but still nice enough, but certainly not the reason to come to the Andamans, so most people don't linger long. You could spend a day there looking around, maybe go to Ross Island for a 1/2 day trip, it's the old administrative capital that is now abandoned and has eerie old mansions and such covered in vines...

but the other things that makemytrip is talking about don't personally interest me... the glass bottom boat thing and all, I think you could do much better from Havelock.

If it were my honeymoon, I would spend it all on Havelock - stay at Beach #5 at Wild Orchid, or a little cheaper is Island Vinnie's. I've put all this info into the Havelock page, but Beach #7 (Radha Nagar) is said by some to be the most idyllic beach in the world. It's got nice white sand, backed by trees for shade if you like, some sandy water bits for swimming, and some parts with great coral reef good for snorkeling (and you can rent fins and masks just at the end of the road from the dhabas near the beach, Rs 50/each). There's not much accomodation at this beach, so better to stay on Beach #5 and visit this beach on a day trip (or a couple of day trips as many do). Motorbikes are available for rent, or you can take a bus here that runs about every hour. Rickshaws and jeeps go there too.

Ask at Island Vinnie's about snorkeling trips... there are a few different popular 1/2 day trips... I went to South Button Island with them (diving), but all of the coral there is fairly shallow and you could probably see just as much nice stuff snorkeling - it's really beautiful and colorful with lots of life.

I personally just loved walking around the island, it's got nice atmosphere and friendly people, it's beautiful... I spent a month there with little difficulty. There's not a ton of things to do, it's pretty laid back. If you think 1-2 days is enough and you'd be bored with beach life, there's also more to see around Port Blair, which I only heard about and didn't explore. The Cellular Jail... or head down near Wandoor for a day... there's a few 1/2 day trips possible from Port Blair, and all of it should be easily arrangeable once you arrive. I don't think the Andamans is the kind of place that warrants a package or anything, at least not until they open up some more islands. Inquire at the tourist office when you get to Port Blair, they'll have up to date info on the surrounding day trips - like Cinque Island. The Mahatma Gandhi Marine Park (get there from Wandoor) is supposedly beautiful (or was before the tsunami) and the tourist office will be the place to tell you if it's reopened and what the current state is.

Vinnie and Pritha who own Island Vinnie's are a great young couple, I really liked them... there also from Mumbai... I would meet up with them whether you stay there or not to talk about Havelock possibilities - maybe even fishing trips or something if you're interested.

The restaurant at Wild Orchid is great as well, you could have many a nice dinner there (provided you eat seafood... otherwise some Indian veg options as well).

January will be a great time to be there too, I think that is prime season there weather-wise. When I was there in March the water was like glass on most days, it was gorgeous!

It's also possible to take a bus from Port Blair up to the north of the big islands to see some of the tribal groups, but it's a long 12 hour ride and unless you have a keen interest I would say skip it since you don't have so much time.

Sorry, I'm rambling now, but I would arrive in Port Blair and spend 1 night... after you check into a hotel I would get a ferry ticket (and some suggest a return ticket as well) from the port to go to Havelock the next morning. That afternoon you could visit Ross Island, I think there's hourly ferries, and walk around there for a little while. If you're in to splurging, Fortune Resort is supposedly the nicest in the city... beyond that I have no advice, I stayed in a Rs 60/night dump that I wouldn't recommend to you ;). Spend a few nights on Havelock, leave earlier if it doesn't warrant that many days for you... and then see some more things around Port Blair. But I really think that the superior things to do/see are relaxing on a beach on Havelock, and snorkeling, and eating some good food and maybe watching some dvd's at Wild Orchid or Island Vinnie's.

I don't think it's all that necessary to have everything totally prebooked (except maybe your accomodation in Port Blair and on Havelock)... I think you would be happier doing it as you go... once you're there you'll have a better feel for what you like... if Havelock suits you stay there, if you end up back in Port Blair with a couple days left then head to the tourist office and see what interests you. All of the things around there I think should be really easily arranged on the spot. Jump on a ferry, or a bus to the south or rent a taxi or rent a motorcycle or scooter... I think it's all pretty simple and you'll feel freer just doing what you feel like once you're there  :)

One last thing I'll throw out, Dolphin Beach Resort is where almost all of the Indian tourists were staying when I was on Havelock... so if you consider yourself a typical Indian, then maybe it's the place. But I think it was pretty sterile, and not at all romantic for a honeymoon. Big concrete bungalows built on land where they chopped down all the trees... where as the rest of the accomodation on the island tries to blend in a little more with bamboo and palms and such...

Beyond Wild Orchid and Island Vinnie's and Dolphin, I doubt much else is pre-bookable... the rest is sort of just first come first served. I'm pretty sure that Wild Orchid accepts credit card, and the other two may as well.

What I loved about the island is that it wasn't overly setup for tourists yet... not really any internet, no mobile phone service... so definitely realize that that's what you're heading to...

How's that all sounding? (WT-en) Cacahuate 11:08, 16 November 2006 (EST)

Wow that's some great effort you put in. I hope you enjoyed writing it as much as you seemed to have enjoyed the Andamans! I've got a good picture of what I should be trying there. We will probably put in one day in Port Blair, then spend 3 1/2 days in Havelock hitting the beaches and snorkelling, and get back to Port Blair on the last day and may be visit one more island, and take the next day's flight back home. Wild Orchid seems like a great place to stay... :) Only we are vegetarians, so no seafood for us. Thanks for the great tips! — (WT-en) Ravikiran 20:08, 17 November 2006 (EST)

Have a great honeymoon, I hope you have a wonderful trip and the bride is wonderfully impressed... (WT-en) Cacahuate 03:10, 18 November 2006 (EST)

Thanks. And when I come back, we'll make Havelock island an OTBP! — (WT-en) Ravikiran 18:43, 18 November 2006 (EST)

Andaman Islands

Hi there, It seems like you have experence in traveling to this area and I was looking at going there on a surf trip. Did you notice much surf on these islands while you were over there? Also is it easy to get from island to island and stay on the islands.

Regards,

Ben

Hey there Ben, there wasn't really surf at all, the sea was flat pretty much the whole time, even reflecting clouds at times! gorgeous, but not for surfing... this is Havelock Island I'm talking about anyway... Little Andaman was once known for surfing, but was ravaged in the tsunami, so unless you're prepared to camp and prepare your own food, or unless something has been rebuilt and reopened in the last few months (unlikely) then I would skip it. I met one other guy when i was there who went to surf, but didn't have much luck. i've put a lot of info in the various articles about the Andaman Islands, only a handful are open to tourism, havelock and Neil Island being the most accessible to stay on, check out those articles for details. the havelock island article may seem somewhat sparse, but it actually covers the island pretty comprehensively... there's not a lot more to say about it or do... You could try contacting Island Vinnie's via email and asking them about surfing spots, they know quite a lot about the Andamans and may be of some help... and I recommend them for diving if you end up on Havelock. Good luck! (WT-en) Cacahuate 00:39, 23 November 2006 (EST)

Egyptian Museum

Are you finished with Cairo/Egyptian Museum? Rather than vfding the article we can just redirect to the article that you incorporated the information to by replacing all the text with: #REDIRECT [[Cairo/districtname]]. -- (WT-en) Andrew H. (Sapphire) 01:07, 2 December 2006 (EST)

Yes sir, thank you as always! (WT-en) Cacahuate 01:17, 2 December 2006 (EST)

Sundarbans vs Sunderbans

Hi Cacahuate, sir. So you got through Afghanistan safely, and are now in India - great. I notice that you have been editing the Sunderbans page, so thought you might like to see the previous debates regarding this area. I have no strong feeling either way regarding these issues, so please make your own decision. This is just for your reference only. Take care. Have a great time on the ghats.(WT-en) WindHorse 08:12, 3 December 2006 (EST)

Spelling

I notice that we have two different spellings for this region of West Bengal. One uses an a, while the other an e. Google listings show the a version to be most popular, though both are widely used. To be consistent, should we use only the spelling that using the a , as this is the version used in the main article heading, and also there is already a redirect from Sunderbans, with the e. See the following sentence as an example of the mixed spelling: Sundarbans National Park – The gateway for the West Bengal part of Sunderbans is through Canning and Basanti but one can make one’s way to the Sunderbans from Bakkhali also. Anyway, as you are the West Bengal expert, I'd be happy if you made the decision about this, and I'll follow. WindHorse 22:28, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

Sundarban spelling is okay. That is more in tune with the Bengali pronounciation. I will change it wherever it is otherwise, in order to standardise. Apart from India-based text, I have earlier poked my nose in Scotland - Loch Ness, Fort William and Glencoe. Now I am trying to meddle in Lake District National Park. Thanks for all the support. -- P.K.Niyogi 23:34, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

National Park

a small point, but I was just wondering whether the Sundarbans are actually a national park in Bangladesh (I noticed you changed the title on the UNESCO page). I could only find this designation for the Indian part of the area. WindHorse 23:34, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

I don't really know. I saw you make the redirection from Sundarbans to Sundarbans National Park and changed it based on that. OldPine 07:22, 29 October 2006 (EST)

Yeah, thanks for making all those changes. The Sundarbans are a huge mangrove forest that cover both the Indian and Bangladeshi sides of Ganges Delta, and I have a feeling that only the Indian side have declared it a national park. Anyway, it's only a minor point, and I don't have exact details, so let's just leave it. No doubt someone in the know will make the necessary changes if needed. WindHorse 09:44, 29 October 2006 (EST)

Cool, thank you! I went with the 'a', I also think that's best... According to the WikiPedia page UNESCO calls the Indian side Sundarbans National Park and the Bangladesh part just 'Sundarbans', so I figured that's as good a reason as any to follow that, until someone knows better... part of my interest in the article is that I'm heading there soon I think, and the article is currently a mess! I noticed it just got nominated for COTW, so maybe that will help some... thanks again (WT-en) Cacahuate 08:18, 3 December 2006 (EST)

Bangla props

Great work on Bangladesh! (And about a million other articles!) Just returned to Delhi, drop me a line if you pass anywhere nearby in the next few months and I'll buy you a nice cool Kingfisher =) (WT-en) Jpatokal 11:32, 4 December 2006 (EST)

Muchas gracias! More to come, would love to see the article shine... and would love more to see the country in person! Have you been there? What did you think? Trying to decide now if I'm headed there or not... RE: Delhi, there's a good chance, I'll let you know if I head that way... and you if you head to Varanasi... (WT-en) Cacahuate 00:57, 5 December 2006 (EST)

No personal experience, but my boss on the Delhi project spent several years in Dhaka and seemed to like it. Varanasi's on the agenda but probably not until February or so... (WT-en) Jpatokal 01:13, 5 December 2006 (EST)

Your travels

How long have you been traveling and how much longer do you plan on travelling? Also, do you travel with a laptop? I'm just curious. -- (WT-en) Andrew H. (Sapphire) 02:28, 5 December 2006 (EST)

I left in April 2005, so over 1.5 years... was planning to head home when money is finished (originally thought it would be a year or less total), and was aiming for 2 years, but found out my friend who is staying in my old apartment with all of my shit is moving to NY, so may have to go home sooner or else lose most of the things I own... but it's probably a good thing, missing home after this much time away! I don't have a laptop with me, sometimes I wish I did, especially now that i'm spending more time in one place, but certainly would have been a pain and probably destroyed during the Africa leg when I was moving every 2 or 3 days. After a few months you get really freakin tired of lugging a heavy bag around, so i usually work hard to get it down to the basics as much as possible and be as light as possible... then buy a bunch of shit and the bag fills up again... then send it home... back and forth.... (WT-en) Cacahuate 02:35, 5 December 2006 (EST)

Mozambique

Nice work on the Mozambique locations. Thank you! -- (WT-en) Ricardo (Rmx) 08:38, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Obrigado! A little more to come... (WT-en) Cacahuate 09:52, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Flores

Completed edit of Flores. Hope it makes the grade. (WT-en) WindHorse 10:48, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Hey, thanks again, I think it looks great! (WT-en) Cacahuate 12:25, 17 December 2006 (EST)

Berneray (disambiguation)

Hi

Re this edit - I reckon it shouldn't be linked, as it's uninhabited. But if it did warrant an article, then I think (based on the Wikipedia info) that the Wikivoyage article name would be "Barra Head" and not "Berneray (Barra Head)" (Berneray and Barra Head are alternative names for the same place, with the latter being more common).

So unless you know it's no longer uninhabited, you might want to revert that edit back to the non-linked version. On the other hand if you feel it definitely does warrant an article for some reason you might want to change that line to read something like this:

• Barra Head (also known as Berneray) - an uninhabited island, and the southernmost part of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland

The other places in a disambiguation page are always linked... if the island is uninhabited, and wouldn't be called Berneray even if it was and an article was written about it then there's no need for the disambiguation in the first place, and the "not to be confused with..." line in the intro on the Berneray article should suffice. (WT-en) Cacahuate 09:55, 19 December 2006 (EST)

p.s., it looks like you occasionally stop by and do a lot of editing, you should create an account, it will help others to communicate with you easier... also you can sign your messages on talk pages using ~~~~ - even without an account.  :) (WT-en) Cacahuate 09:59, 19 December 2006 (EST)

Bravo!

Berneray has now received the coveted and rare appellation of Star Article, and it wouldn't have gotten there without you. I therefore officiously (hey, if I'd meant "officially," I would have said "officially"...) award you one of those barnstar thingies. Wear it with pride! -- (WT-en) Bill-on-the-Hill 10:11, 20 December 2006 (EST)

Wow, today's my lucky day... graciously accepted  :) Twas my pleasure... (WT-en) Cacahuate 10:22, 20 December 2006 (EST)

Southern California

So, can you be careful moving articles around in Southern California? We had a long conversation about how to make the region work, culminating in Talk:Southern_California/Hierarchy. There may be some dupe articles lying around; please make sure you're copying information in the right direction! --(WT-en) Evan 12:36, 21 December 2006 (EST)

Actually, looking at it, it's pretty clear you're going the wrong way. If you need some help getting things back, please let me know. --(WT-en) Evan 12:37, 21 December 2006 (EST)

Benapole

Did you see Evan's comments about the border town subject? He posted the comments on my talk page so you may want to take a peek. -- (WT-en) Andrew H. (Sapphire) 02:54, 25 December 2006 (EST)