What Bucket List Item Failed to Live Up to Expectations?

[capriccio]

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Former president Teddy Roosevelt went on an Amazon expedition in 1913 - and barely survived.

The River of Doubt:  Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candace Millard is a fantastic book about  that time in Roosevelt's life and specifically that expedition.  It is an amazing story and book.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Also with the Mona Lisa, I remember having to deal with not only not being able to get close with the hundreds of tourists gathered there, but also it seemed all of them had selfie sticks held high above them. 😒

 

Ugh, selfie sticks -- the bane of modern existence...  Hopefully they've been banned by now, most museums have done so.

 

The Mona Lisa is not disappointing, it's just the experience surrounding it. I've gotten far more out of watching several documentaries about it and what makes it so special (e.g., Leonardo's painting techniques).  It's too small to be appreciated by crowds.

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

…

 

 It's too small to be appreciated by crowds.

 

 

Sadly, this applies increasingly to so many objects/places worth experiencing.

[mnocket]

19 hours ago, ldubs said:

Blarney Stone.  In a slow line up a spiral staircase.  Then:

 

"NEXT".   Lay down kiss the stone.  Spray with windex.  Pic available at the exit. 

"NEXT".   Lay down kiss the stone.  Spray with windex.  Pic available at the exit.

"NEXT".  Lay down kiss the stone.  Spray with windex.  Pic available at the exit. 

 

Actually the old castle and the incredibly worn spiral staircase were pretty cool.   The Blarney Stone -- I enjoyed watching Mrs Ldubs participate.  Not that I think she needed any help being more persuasive.  LOL.   

I pretty much suspected this when I visited Ireland and wisely skipped it.  I saw no reason to do this other than to be able to say you did it -  not a good enough reason for me.

[mnocket]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

The Mona Lisa is not disappointing, it's just the experience surrounding it.

I guess if food is subjective, art is hyper-subjective.  I pretty much see the Mona Lisa as the Kardishan of paintings -  famous for being famous.  But what do I know🙃

Edited May 13, 2022 by mnocket

[ldubs]

This is one that might normally be thought to be not worthwhile.  For us it was just the opposite of a disappointment for any number of reasons.  

 

 

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Ugh, selfie sticks -- the bane of modern existence...  Hopefully they've been banned by now, most museums have done so.

 

The Mona Lisa is not disappointing, it's just the experience surrounding it. I've gotten far more out of watching several documentaries about it and what makes it so special (e.g., Leonardo's painting techniques).  It's too small to be appreciated by crowds.

 

 

 

If things go according to plans, we will visit The Last Supper in Milan later this year.  Apparently they limit viewing to small groups of 15.  Hopefully that will improve the experience.  

 

I completely agree with the Mona Lisa being a bad experience.   Even though disappointing, I'm glad I at least got to see what could be argued as among the most famous paintings in the world.   

 

I"ve been talking to Mrs Ldubs about one of these days visiting Waterloo because of what happened there.  I suspect it will be pretty disappointing.   But I would still would like to just be where it all happened I guess.   

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

I"ve been talking to Mrs Ldubs about one of these days visiting Waterloo because of what happened there.  I suspect it will be pretty disappointing.   But I would still would like to just be where it all happened I guess.   

 

I'm one of those "place people".  I can conjure up a vivid picture in my mind if I know the history, and sometimes (often at surprising places) one can get a real feeling for what happened there. And by feeling I mean almost like someone walking over your grave....

 

One such place was Delphi in Greece, which was a sort of peaceful but powerful buzzy feeling. Another was at Carthage, where it helped that I was able to actually get down to the level of the houses and streets razed by the Romans; I tell you I could almost hear the screams and battle cries. 😱

 

[capriccio]

9 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I"ve been talking to Mrs Ldubs about one of these days visiting Waterloo because of what happened there.  I suspect it will be pretty disappointing.   But I would still would like to just be where it all happened I guess.   

It sounds like you are a student of history so it won't be disappointing but it is, as I find all battlefields, a sobering experience, 

 

We lived in Waterloo in the mid 90s and it was a massive field with a small museum containing a painting in the round and the Lion's mound with 200 or so steps to the statue at the top plus a farmhouse/battle headquarters building. I'm pretty sure the museum had a makeover and a major expansion before the 200th anniversary in 2015.  If we ever get back to Belgium I would go again.

[Mike981]

I know we have had moments where we were disappointed, but I honestly can't think of one at the moment.

 

One that was a good surprise was the Queens Stair Case in Nassau, mainly because we had no expectations and we were just doing a free walk on our own.

 

A funny side to that, we got a bit lost. Then we came upon six steps going no where and a local guy sitting on one of them, "Is this the Queens Staircase?" I asked him, "ya'mon" and he walked off. Luckily we came across the 'real' staircase and it was pretty cool. Sad on how it was built, but we could say that about a lot/most places.

[rkacruiser]

22 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I'm one of those "place people".  I can conjure up a vivid picture in my mind if I know the history, and sometimes (often at surprising places) one can get a real feeling for what happened there.

 

I am as well.  Visiting The Forum and the Colosseum in Rome, knowing the history of ancient Rome, it was easy to visualize what had been taking place there.  (Did I hear Julius Caesar saying, "Et tu, Brutus!")?  Sailing through the Coral Sea and other South Pacific waters where WW II naval battles took place, sailing around the southern end of Japan and remembering the submarine attacks on Japanese shipping and Japan's response to those attacks, knowing the history of where one is visiting adds to one's appreciation of what one is experiencing.  

 

Previously, I listed Luxor and the Valley of the Kings as a disappointment, particularly Luxor.  I don't know/understand much Egyptian history.  If I had known more, particularly about Luxor, would I have had a better experience?  

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I disagree about Sagrada Familia.  I was mesmerized.  Perhaps you didn’t get inside?  It’s like no other cathedral.  

 

No, the Cathedral was not open for visitors.  

 

22 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

There is lots of authentic Amazon if you know where to look.  The riverboats with their hammocks.  The small fishing boats that people actually live on.  

 

Agree!  My Amazon trip to/from Manaus was a different cruise experience.  On deck in the early morning hours and watching the appearance of the water change as Royal Princess transited from the Atlantic to the Amazon, the Meeting of the Waters, a night time boat tour through the rain forest looking for crocodiles and hearing the night time sounds of the forest:  wonderful, authentic memories!  One memory didn't get created.  At Santarem, I had booked a Piranha fishing excursion.  Thanks to the delay in getting Royal Princess cleared the day we entered Brazil, the ship arrived too late at the port and the excursion was cancelled.  

[capriccio]

19 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No, the Cathedral was not open for visitors.  

 

 

Agree!  My Amazon trip to/from Manaus was a different cruise experience.  On deck in the early morning hours and watching the appearance of the water change as Royal Princess transited from the Atlantic to the Amazon, the Meeting of the Waters, a night time boat tour through the rain forest looking for crocodiles and hearing the night time sounds of the forest:  wonderful, authentic memories!  One memory didn't get created.  At Santarem, I had booked a Piranha fishing excursion.  Thanks to the delay in getting Royal Princess cleared the day we entered Brazil, the ship arrived too late at the port and the excursion was cancelled.  

We did the same itinerary on the same ship with the same excursions (including Piranha fishing and eating) from FLL to Manaus in January 2010.  It remains one of my favorites because it was so very different from any other.

[cruisemom42]

29 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Previously, I listed Luxor and the Valley of the Kings as a disappointment, particularly Luxor.  I don't know/understand much Egyptian history.  If I had known more, particularly about Luxor, would I have had a better experience?  

 

Everyone is different. For me, knowledge is key. The more I know about a place (or object) and its history, the more likely I am to be able to appreciate it and -- dare I say it -- tune out the crowds around me. I do have quite a strong imagination as well -- plus have spent a good part of my life trying to mentally reconstruct ancient ruins in my head!  I also think it helps that I often travel on my own. If I can get away, even a bit, from others and just "be" in a place, I tend to have a better experience.

 

On the other hand, I know some people who feel that if they know too much about a place/object before they see it for the first time, it will be "ruined" for them -- I guess they don't see it with the same sense of wonder.

 

Re: your example of Luxor: When I visited Karnak, I was on a small group tour with a guide/archaeologist who had actually worked on the site. He took us off to the side to a small, dark room (lit only by his flashlight) with a large statue of the Egyptian cat goddess. While we waited in the near-dark, he climbed up onto the roof and slid away whatever was covering the hole in the roof that served as a spotlight, allowing the sun to highlight the larger-than life statue. It was an experience that gave me a sense of how ancient Egyptian worshippers at this particular temple might have felt.

 

In my defense, by the time I was 10 I knew the names of all the major Egyptian gods and pharaohs -- I will never forgive my parents leaving me behind at age 12 when they went to Egypt. It took me until age 42 to realize that particular bucket list/dream item. On that same tour we actually visited the Valley of the Kings on my birthday. Others in my group commented that I had an ear-to-ear smile all day.

 

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

This is one that might normally be thought to be not worthwhile.  For us it was just the opposite of a disappointment for any number of reasons.  

 

 

 

I've filled in a bit of detail for you 🙂

 

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[frantic36]

8 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Ugh, selfie sticks -- the bane of modern existence...  Hopefully they've been banned by now, most museums have done so.

 

The Mona Lisa is not disappointing, it's just the experience surrounding it. I've gotten far more out of watching several documentaries about it and what makes it so special (e.g., Leonardo's painting techniques).  It's too small to be appreciated by crowds.

 

 

 

Totally agree about selfie sticks. 

 

When I took my husband to see the Mona Lisa, I had first seen it when much younger he had never seen it, I took him late afternoon on a day they were open to 7pm. The Louvre had very few people in it and it was wonderful. We were able to get up close to many of the artwork including the Mona Lisa. I have a picture of him standing next to it with seemingly no-one else around. It still felt special to me though he wasn't as impressed. 😁

 

La Sagrada Familia was a major highlight especially using the audio headphones, we spent hours there learning about the facade and interior.

 

I have found even in some places I found disappointing like Darwin, I still managed to find something interesting like there WW2 Museum which documented the bombing of Darwin in a very interesting way. 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

 

I've filled in a bit of detail for you 🙂

 

 

JB 🙂

 

 

I'm sorry -- but MEH!

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm one of those "place people".  I can conjure up a vivid picture in my mind if I know the history, and sometimes (often at surprising places) one can get a real feeling for what happened there. And by feeling I mean almost like someone walking over your grave....

 

One such place was Delphi in Greece, which was a sort of peaceful but powerful buzzy feeling. Another was at Carthage, where it helped that I was able to actually get down to the level of the houses and streets razed by the Romans; I tell you I could almost hear the screams and battle cries. 😱

 

 

I think a good example of what you are saying  is the Alamo.  It shouldn't be visited without a strong sense of what happened there.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, John Bull said:

I've filled in a bit of detail for you 🙂

 

Thanks because I didn't "get" the other post.

 

19 hours ago, frantic36 said:

I still managed to find something interesting like there WW2 Museum which documented the bombing of Darwin in a very interesting way. 

 

There are two things that stand out in my memory about Darwin.  Their WW II Museum had well presented and interesting exhibits.  Second was the heat and humidity I experienced.  My intention after my tour was to remain in town and do more exploring.  When I was given the choice of returning to the Volendam or being dropped off in town, my very wilted me chose to return to the ship.  

 

23 hours ago, capriccio said:

We did the same itinerary on the same ship with the same excursions (including Piranha fishing and eating) from FLL to Manaus in January 2010.  It remains one of my favorites because it was so very different from any other.

 

What was the fishing like?  How did the Piranha taste?  How was it cooked?  You did the crocodile hunting at night tour as well, I guess.  That was very interesting and watching how the guides found the creatures, catching them, and holding a small one for awhile:  great experience!  

 

My Amazon cruise was from Fort Lauderdale to Manuas, then on to Civitavecchia.  It was a repositioning cruise for the original Royal Princess in 2004.  Interesting that the same shore excursions were offered in 2010 that had been offered in 2004.

[donaldsc]

20 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I think a good example of what you are saying  is the Alamo.  It shouldn't be visited without a strong sense of what happened there.

 

I was at the Alamo a whole bunch of years ago.  I knew the history.  Even with that, I would give it a rating of at most 1 on a scale of 1 to 10.

 

DON

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

I was at the Alamo a whole bunch of years ago.  I knew the history.  Even with that, I would give it a rating of at most 1 on a scale of 1 to 10.

 

DON

 

I was I awe of standing where the sacrifices made to accomplish so much happened.  I understand why it is held in reverence.  I feel that way myself.   But just looking at the brick and mortar, I can see how some could be disappointed.  

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks because I didn't "get" the other post.

 

 

 

I figured someone would circle around with more detail.  😀 

[dolittle]

Love Europe but Paris did not move me like other places in Europe . My wife was dying to see the Eiffel Tower. So glad I did it was way better than I would have thought . Got up way early still waited well worth it. 

[capriccio]

6 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

What was the fishing like? IIRC everyone who wanted to got a fishing rod and bait (smaller fish I think). How did the Piranha taste? A fairly mild white fish with lots of little bones.  How was it cooked? Grilled I think.

 

You did the crocodile hunting at night tour as well, I guess.  That was very interesting and watching how the guides found the creatures, catching them, and holding a small one for awhile:  great experience!  We did the caiman hunting on a wonderful excursion that started with the transfer to a small boat (maybe 50 people) and we motored up a tributary that only 4 weeks before was too shallow for that boat.  On our excursion the very tops of trees were visible above the water.  We then disembarked at an eco-lodge (and the boat left to get back to deeper water without treetops to maneuver around before dark) and we were divided into groups of 10 or so for a walk in the jungle.  I remember our guide pointing out a very large tarantula.  Then it was time for a buffet dinner of local specialties.  After dinner we broke into groups of about 10 again and boarded large canoes and went caiman hunting.  The youngest guides would jump out and capture the small (2 1/2 to 3 feet long or so) caimans and pass them around the canoe.  We eventually met up with the bigger boat and boarded from the canoe onto the boat (I've blocked that part from my memory - all I remember is that the process was scary.  Then we sailed to the Royal Princess.  It was a spectacular excursion!

 

My Amazon cruise was from Fort Lauderdale to Manuas, then on to Civitavecchia.  It was a repositioning cruise for the original Royal Princess in 2004.  Interesting that the same shore excursions were offered in 2010 that had been offered in 2004.

Answers to your questions, as best as I can remember 12 years later 😄 are in red. 

 

I also have fond memories of the small city of Parintins famous for its annual 3 day Boi Bumba folklore festival.  The rest of the year a much condensed version is put on for cruise passengers.  The costumes and dancing were enthralling.

[leavesofapple]

17 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I was I awe of standing where the sacrifices made to accomplish so much happened.  I understand why it is held in reverence.  I feel that way myself.   But just looking at the brick and mortar, I can see how some could be disappointed.  

Even as a European I found the Alamo interesting both in itself and because of the reverence shown it.