The ABCs of Travel survey

[librarygirl]

Edit: Pick your top five of the below to answer!

This circulated throughout the blogosphere a few years back but thought it might be fun to include on this board since it's been a tad dead as of late:


Age you went on your first international trip: 


Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:


Cuisine (favorite): 


Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why: 


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: 


Favorite mode of transportation: 


Greatest feeling while traveling: 


Hottest place you’ve traveled to: 


Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: 


Journey that took the longest: 


Keepsake from your travels: 


Let-down site – why and where: 

Moment when you fell in love with travel: 


Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling:


Passport stamps, how many and from where: 


Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: 


Recommended site, event or experience: 


Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: 


Touristy thing you’ve done:


Unforgettable travel memory: 

Visas: 

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: 


eXcellent view and from where: 

Years spent traveling: 


Zealous sports fans and where:

[dana2006]

This list is really long. Maybe edit it down to 5 questions?

[Wanderista]

I'm always game for surveys and livening up the board. Maybe people can skip questions that they don't want to answer?

[librarygirl]

Good point about choosing five.

Here are mine:

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow:
Semana Santa in Sevilla, Spain. NYE in New York doesn't hold a candle ha.

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The Westin Palace in Madrid. Gorgeous turn of the last century hotel, impeccable service. It was especially awesome for me since I was a study abroad student who got to stay there when my dad came to visit!

Recommended site, event or experience: Driving to the top of Haleakala on Maui. I wasn't driving so I could enjoy it more than my h whose knuckles were white the entire time (he also has a thing with heights) but just going up and up to an ultimate height of 10,000 feet was amazing.

Unforgettable travel memory:
Emerging through the jungles at Chichen Itza and seeing the castle for the first time. 


eXcellent view and from where: Looking down on the Portuguese landscape from atop the Moorish Castle in Sintra. 

[Wanderista]

Age you went on your first international trip: Age 3 to Mexico.

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: Tough one, definitely Belgium for me though. I prefer Belgian beers to German beers personally. And the Belgian fruit beers like Kriek and Framboise? I die with enjoyment.

I also like a Croatian beer called Ozjusko including their lemonade beers. Karlovacko is also quite good. I'm also a fan of Russia's Baltika but have only had it in the States.

Cuisine (favorite): Can't pick just one. I love variety but I could probably live on a combo of Italian and Japanese for a long while.

Favorite mode of transportation: In most cities, I like riding the metro/Subway/tube/light-rail. I'm also fond of yachting in nautical areas. I also like riding animals (horses, camels, probably an elephant if I got the chance, etc).

Greatest feeling while traveling: Arriving and exploring; feeling a weird sense of belonging in a totally random place.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: the Sahara in July, also parts of the Sonoran Desert in July.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: It's hard to pick just one. There was a vendor in Egypt who made jewelry and sandbottles who was so talented, nice and interesting. He made incredible artwork in front of my eyes and told me some of what it is like to live there. I will always value the souvenirs that I got from him. He was so nice to tourists. I'm sure I have other examples but that one sticks out.

Let-down site – why and where: Just stay away from a place called John's Cozy Little Backpacker Hostel in Berlin, it was so gross!

Moment when you fell in love with travel: I've pretty much always loved it. I was always whining to go places as a kid. I was traveling as a kid even independently of my parents.

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: Tough one but probably Hotel Niko in Zadar, Croatia. Oh, nearly forgot to mention that fab hotel I ran into in Venice at age 18 that pretty much saved my naive teenage traveling ass. That place is called Hotel Colombina. So lovely.

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: I like to feel like I am capturing the essence of a place and also I am very interested in historic sites. So, architecture, panoramas, people shots, little details. I like photographing them but I probably only post a fraction of the photos that I take. I like to feel like my photos say something about a place.

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: Also tough but when I was a kid, I went with my Dad on vacation in Minnesota. We were visiting Lake Itasca but there was probably some tourist trap that I made him go with me to called The Place of Mystery or something like that. It was like an interactive museum of optical illusions. I still remember that it was fun! No idea if it is still in business or even if that was the actual name.

Recommended site, event or experience: Visiting nice spas in Eastern Europe.

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Experiences.

Touristy thing you’ve done: Eiffel Tower/Hollywood Tour/The London Eye/the Berlin Wall/Venice/Guinness Brewery in Dublin/DisneyWorld/Mannequin Pis in Brussels/Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen/Vienna at Christmas including Schonbrunn/St. Louis Arch - to name the ones that spring immediately to mind. (I've done virtually every touristy thing you can do in London, except that I haven't literally toured Westminster Abbey or been inside of Buckingham Palace - there's very little that I haven't done there though).

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: Probably Fragolino from the Venice/Veneto region. I'd like to have that again and explore it more thoroughly.

Zealous sports fans and where: Err, almost everywhere outside of the US when there was some sort of football match on. The funniest was riding a crowded train in Scotland with a bunch of fans of Celtic Football. The whole train was packed full of rowdy people drinking at 9 am but a burly Scotsman in sporting war paint shouted, "Give the lassie a seat!" I loved it hehe.

[dana2006]

Dec 19, 2013 11:25:44 GMT -5 librarygirl said:

Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why:  Favorite was Czech Republic. Beautiful scenery, lots of history, and great food and cheap beer. Least favorite was Jakarta--worst traffic I've ever encountered. 


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: First glimpse of Cappadocia in early dawn, when the overnight bus we were riding in just cleared a hill and we saw dozens of colorful hot air balloons taking flight in the soft golden light as the mist was dissapating. I gasped at the sight.


Greatest feeling while traveling: Thinking during the moment that life does not get any better than this.

 
Journey that took the longest: Flying from the East Coast to Singapore. It's a work trip and my manager was very tight fisted about it, so I was booked on a cheap route that made me transfer in Narita and Hong Kong. It took over 24 hours. 


Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: China World Hotel in Beijing. I went in 2003 and it was one of the few 5-star hotels in China then. It's grandiose but I loved my stay there. The bathroom was so beautiful that I did not need an alarm clock--every morning I'd wake up early and can't wait to take a shower in it. The staff was the friendliest to boot.

[SJ]

Age you went on your first international trip: 8 weeks old to Colombia to meet my grandparents who were living there at the time

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: I don't drink beer

Cuisine (favorite): Mexican

Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why: Favorite: So many for so many different reasons. Chile & Indonesia both have huge places in my heart. ; Least Favorite: Egypt- the only place I have ever truly felt unsafe

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Walking through the canyon to that first glimpse of Petra

Favorite mode of transportation: Flying

Greatest feeling while traveling: Wonder.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Masada I think.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:

Journey that took the longest: Every time we fly to Indonesia I just go into a trance. We also have a million stops.

Keepsake from your travels: I collect jewelry

Let-down site – why and where:

Moment when you fell in love with travel: I can't remember not loving it

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: My husband perusing guidebooks

Passport stamps, how many and from where: I have no idea. I have been to 35 countries, but some many times. I have 5 passports, one of which got full & required extra pages.

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: This upside down house in the Wisconsin Dells. WTF.

Recommended site, event or experience: National Parks in the US

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Food & experiences. We don't usually stay at top-of-the-line hotels.

Touristy thing you’ve done: South of the Border, on the edge of NC/SC. What a colossal joke.

Unforgettable travel memory: Safari. That first glimpse of the animals.

Visas: Yes, many.

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: Nothing specific comes to mind, but I love wine.

eXcellent view and from where: Overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater. Iguazu Falls.

Years spent traveling: 29

Zealous sports fans and where: I am not a zealous sports fan!

[katfco]

Age you went on your first international trip: 19


Cuisine (favorite): authentic Chinese food


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Dawn at Mt. Everest


 Journey that took the longest: Flying from Des Moines, IA to Wuhan, China. Because of weather, it took over 30 hours.


Keepsake from your travels: stone teapot from Tibet


Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: architecture


Passport stamps, how many and from where: 6: Guyana, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore


 
Recommended site, event or experience: Climbing one of the non-restored sections of the Great Wall


 Touristy thing you’ve done: visiting Tiananmen


Unforgettable travel memory: Driving through the Himalayas is the top, but a lot of them are pretty unforgettable

 
Years spent traveling: 2, counting living overseas

[mdgirl]

Age you went on your first international trip: <1 if we're counting Canada, otherwise 15


Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: Chang on a Thai beach

Favorite mode of transportation: I love flying. I love planes and airports and planning trips.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: I went to San Antonio once for work in late May. I may have technically been to hotter places, but not when I had to wear suits and pantyhose.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Alaska Airlines as SFO. They had canceled my flight and I thought I was going to be stuck overnight, and when I went to try to get a hotel voucher the agent got me on a flight home.

Keepsake from your travels: I've been collecting lucky cats lately.

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: We're starting to get fussy about flying. We can usually get upgraded or use miles, but we're willing to pay for upper class for long-haul flights.

Visas: Cambodia and India

Zealous sports fans and where: Once when we were in Paris the Scottish national soccer team was playing the French team there, and the city was full of Scots in kilts (usually drunk and once carrying a blow up doll).

[librarygirl]

@sfgal530 Nah, whatever amount you wanted to answer You did the true ABCs

I did laugh when I saw one of your hottest places visited. I was in Sevilla on my study abroad program until the end of May...I absolutely hated May due to the heat! 8 in the morning and it would already be over 90 degrees! My host family's flat was terrible too, obviously no A/C. Only places to escape were the comp lab at the uni, Starbucks, and the movie theatre lol. Fond memories.

But yeah you couldn't pay me to return to Southern Spain in the summer!

Dec 19, 2013 14:41:41 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

ETA:  Instruction fail.  I answered all instead of just 5.  Whoops. 

Dec 19, 2013 11:25:44 GMT -5 librarygirl said:

Age you went on your first international trip:  12?  13?  8th grade.

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:  I don't like beer, so N/A.

Cuisine (favorite): All the food.  Italian food in Italy, though, might just win.

Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why:  Favorite: Australia (great snorkeling), The Galapagos Islands (love animal watching), Tanzania (animal watching was amazing), Argentina (amazing steak); Least Favorite: Dominican Republic (got eaten alive by mosquitoes, our house lost power / water consistently, our friends got extorted at gunpoint while driving... no thanks)

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow:  In Tanzania our driver took our open-sided car into these tall grasses and found a pride of 15 lions - 3 males, 2 females, 10 cubs - just lazing around.  We sat just a few feet from them and watched them for hours, and we were the only three people around (me, H, and our driver).  I'll never forget it.

Favorite mode of transportation:  If money is no object, Emirates first class to get there - it was amazing; then when I arrive, by foot - you never know what you'll notice or what side street you might want to veer down.

Greatest feeling while traveling:  Learning something new; making a connection with someone from another country; giving back.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Phoenix in the summer (but I lived there so kind of a cop-out); Seville, Spain, in late June (poor planning on my part)

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:  Hard to say - we've had lots of good experiences.  The entire staff at Faru Faru in Tanzania were incredible.  The staff at Burj Al Arab in Dubai will literally do just about anything you ask.

Journey that took the longest:  Getting to Africa was 16 hours from SFO to Dubai, then 4.5 hours to Nairobi.  Our upcoming flight from Cape Town to SFO will be the longest - 9.5 hours + 16 hours.  I expect the longest journey I will ever take to get somewhere will be Antarctica, because you sail 2-3 days from Ushuaia to get there.

Keepsake from your travels:  I buy little street vendor paintings and get them framed.  H picks up sea shells anytime we're near a beach and we have a jar full of various shells from our travels. 

Let-down site – why and where:  Dominican Republic.  We rented a crazy house - 22K square feet - with a huge group of friends on the beach, and it seemed like it would be so great.  The infrastructure there just isn't what it needed to be, and we lost power almost every day.  We lost water once and to use the toilets had to take buckets of water from the pool.  I got eaten alive by mosquitoes - literally 100+ bites.  There was an armed guard who patrolled our neighborhood because it was so unsafe.  I did not like it at all (but they had gorgeous beaches).

Moment when you fell in love with travel:  Don't remember, I've always wanted to go places and explore.  I value travel much more so than any material possessions.

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:  Hard to say, we've stayed in some pretty incredible hotels.  The Burj Al Arab is considered by many - and branded by the hotel - to be the "world's most luxurious hotel" but the rooms were kind of kitsch in my opinion.  My favorite hotels are Blanket Bay in Glenorchy, New Zealand, and Faru Faru (Singita property) in the Serengeti area.  I also love Four Seasons so we've stayed at a bunch of those (Seattle, Bora Bora, Seychelles, Maui, Sydney, Vail, Jackson Hole); my favorite FS Hotels were Bora Bora & Seychelles.  And the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills had custom monogrammed pillow cases for us when we checked in, which was ridiculous.  I splurge on hotels when we travel.    

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: Everything. 

Passport stamps, how many and from where: 40+, technically from all 6 continents (though I don't count the UAE as Asia so I'm making H go to Japan with me in May so I can really count that).

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:  Mozart's Birthplace Museum in Salzburg.  SO TERRIBLE.  H and I laughed so hard we cried.  They had exhibits which included a lock of hair, framed and hanging on the wall, with the caption below reading 'Mozart's Hair?'  And this eerie baby in a cradle with a glowing blue light over it.  So bad it was great.

Recommended site, event or experience:  So many - snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef; exploring and snorkeling in the Galapagos; waking up in an over-water hut in Bora Bora; doing a safari in Africa; getting a private after-hours tour of the Vatican so you avoid the crowds...

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: My travel budget is obscene.  I splurge on food, hotels, experiences, and new handbags when I'm in Europe (thanks for the VAT refund!). 

Touristy thing you’ve done:  So many - ascended to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  That's probably the most quintessential touristy thing ever.  Then eaten cheese / baguette / chocolate on the Champs de Mars.

Unforgettable travel memory: Our honeymoon in French Polynesia was pretty spectacular.  Dining under the stars in the middle of the Australian Outback, with the Milky Way above, was also incredible.  Snorkeling with a friendly sea lion in the Galapagos was amazing.  So many unforgettable experiences. 

Visas: Kenya, Tanzania, Australia.  Those are the only countries that have needed visas before entry (I think I got one in Turkey for $20) and in Chile I got one at the airport. 

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: Any glass of wine I have while traveling is a good glass.  I learned to like Malbec while in Argentina.  Before that, I was not much of a red wine fan.

eXcellent view and from where: The view of the mountains and water from Blanket Bay Lodge in New Zealand was stunning.  New Zealand has spectacular countryside. 

Years spent traveling: I've traveled all my life, so I'm not sure what this means?  In the past 2-3 years, I've definitely traveled a whole heck of a lot more (14 weeks in 2012, 11 in 2013), but I have not spent a whole year traveling.

Zealous sports fans and where: We were in Lisbon in 2012 and watched the Euro Cup match between Portugal and Denmark.  We watched it with my Portuguese friend and 6,000+ other Lisbonites at the bull fighting ring.  The fans were incredible, so loud and boisterous and screaming.  And Portugal won so it was a really fun time.

[mdgirl]

Dec 19, 2013 17:05:11 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

mdgirl, did you see Alaska is going to start offering EQM's on all their partner flights in 2014? Cathay, British Airways, Qantas, etc. Will make those long-haul business class flights an even better value since they'll help with status!

Nice!

[anna7602]

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow:
Planned or unplanned? Experiencing a hurricane while in Cuba made me say a lot more than wow. 

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:
I like ossuaries (collections of skeletal remains). I've been to the Catacombs in Paris, but have been to smaller ossuaries in Peru and Portugal. I couldn't tell you their names or how to get to them, though. 



Unforgettable travel memory:
DH stopping on a street corner in Krakow with me in college and telling me he could picture us married one day. Krakow in general, was very memorable. It was beautiful and DH and I were so thrilled to be traveling on our own together for the first time. 

Touristy thing you’ve done: Watched the running of the bulls in Pamplona. I did that about 10-15 years too late in my life. College or just after would have been ideal.  


eXcellent view and from where:
From the top of Pao de Acucar, Rio de Janeiro

[anna7602]

Dec 19, 2013 15:30:12 GMT -5 SJ said:

Touristy thing you’ve done: South of the Border, on the edge of NC/SC. What a colossal joke.

We drove to Florida almost every summer when I was a kid (from the NE). We stopped here every time, so I have fond memories. My dad would buy us firecrackers. 

[sunshinedaydreams]

Dec 19, 2013 11:25:44 GMT -5 librarygirl said:

Age you went on your first international trip: 16 to Spain with my Spanish class.


Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:  Kwak in Belgium.


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Standing at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull a couple of months after it erupted and seeing the amazing and devastating way it had changed the whole area.


Greatest feeling while traveling: When my ears start popping and I realize we're descending into the airport.


Journey that took the longest: Tanzania.  18 hours from DC to Johannesburg, then 4.5 hrs from Jo'burg to Dar Es Salaam.


Keepsake from your travels: We collect little trinkets from everywhere we go and rig them up with fishing line to make Christmas ornaments out of them.  We have a llama from Peru, a Viking from Stockholm, a mini Atomium from Brussels, etc., etc.


Passport stamps, how many and from where:  Current passport, not many.  I just finally changed to my married name a year or so ago.  I think I have:  Iceland, Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Peru, Belize and Guatemala in this one.  Maybe South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya, too.  So...9-13?


Recommended site, event or experience: Hiking the Inca Trail.  It was tough as shit and frustrating at times, but it was so amazing.  It was peaceful and beautiful and challenging and educational.  I loved it.


Unforgettable travel memory: This one is a bad memory, but definitely unforgettable.  We were sitting on a plane about to fly to Tahiti when we found out my FIL passed away and we had to get off the plane and figure out how to get back home ASAP.  It was a total nightmare.

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2013 11:25:44 GMT -5 librarygirl said:

Age you went on your first international trip: 13, my grandmother took me to London and Paris

Cuisine (favorite): We had some incredible meals in Italy

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: 1. Dawn at the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.  2. Crawling inside the Great Pyramids of Giza. 3. Waking up at sunrise to go on a run through the empty streets of Venice, along the canal and through St. Mark's Square. 4. Sunrise bike ride down Mt. Haleakala on Maui.

Greatest feeling while traveling: My first step off the plane/boat/train in a totally new place.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Probably a hike in the Negev Desert in Israel in July.

Keepsake from your travels: Christmas tree ornaments (which is funny since I was raised Jewish).  If we can't find an ornament, we buy something that we can turn into an ornament, like a small figurine.  Every year when we decorate our tree, we get to revisit everywhere we've traveled and see which new ones we've added.

Moment when you fell in love with travel: I remember looking out the plane window as we were about to land in London on my first "big" trip at 13 years old.

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: Fairmont Nile Towers in Cairo, gold concierge floor.  Everything was amazing - a gorgeous room overlooking the Nile, fresh exotic fruits in the room, a beautiful lounge where we drank wine overlooking the city.

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: When we were in Sintra, Portugal, I had read about Cabo do Roca - the westernmost point of Europe, supposedly a quick bus ride from downtown Sintra with amazing views of the sea.  I thought it'd be fun to check it out.  After more than an hour-long ride from hell in a "bus" (read: van) packed full with carsick tourists, by the time we got to the lookout point, it was pitch dark.  The bus let us out to enjoy the view (you couldn't see anything) and took off, leaving us in the freezing cold and pitch dark, waiting almost two hours for the next bus to come take us back to Sintra.  We laugh about it...in retrospect.

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: An activity, like a private tour or cooking class.

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: It's a tie between Portugal and Italy.  Various reds.

eXcellent view and from where: Everything in Hawaii.  The aforementioned bike ride down Haleakala left me dreaming of moving there.

Years spent traveling: My entire life, with peaks between 13-16 and 24-present.

[scout8]

Dec 19, 2013 11:25:44 GMT -5 librarygirl said:

Edit: Pick your top five of the below to answer!

This circulated throughout the blogosphere a few years back but thought it might be fun to include on this board since it's been a tad dead as of late:


Age you went on your first international trip: 19 or 20


Cuisine (favorite): Thai or Mexican


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai


Favorite mode of transportation: Train.


Greatest feeling while traveling: 1) Going to bed every night excited about what I will get to see the next day. 2) Getting off the plan in a hot climate when coming from cold.


Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Ometepe, Nicaragua


Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Business class on Cathay Pacific


Journey that took the longest: Not sure--maybe the flight from Chicago to Bangkok.


Keepsake from your travels: Christmas ornaments


Moment when you fell in love with travel: Not sure. I have always wanted to travel. As a kid, I would read about places and want to go there.


Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: We don't usually stay in fancy places. We are more the mid range type. I will go with Hotel El Convento in San Juan PR.

[RoxMonster]

Greatest feeling while traveling: Exploring a new place (especially ones that are off-the-beaten path) and feeling very small in comparison to the big world out there

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: Nature, especially beaches, oceans, mountains

Recommended site, event or experience: Drive Highway 1 through Big Sur. You won't regret it; it's gorgeous. Take the narrow, one-lane road down to Pfeiffer Beach. The nail-biting drive is worth the reward!

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Excellent local cuisine and wine

Unforgettable travel memory: Driving and exploring the North Shore of O'ahu on our honeymoon, just stopping the car on the side of the street to jump out when we wanted and explore.

[wise_rita]

I'll answer more than 5 because it's Christmas break and I've got the time!

Age you went on your first international trip:

21, to study abroad my junior year.


Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:


I've never been to India but I love Kingfisher and drink it whenever I find it!


Cuisine (favorite):


Damn, that's a tough one.  But I'm going to go with Polish because I'm a sucker for a perogie.


Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why:


Fave: I'm going to generically say Europe, because I like that you can see a lot of different places.

Least fave: Cairo.  I was only there for 1 day (day trip from Cyprus) but it was too damn hot, crowded, dirty and swindle-y for my taste.


Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow:


Seeing street kids begging in SE Asia.  Talk about a sheltered upbringing...


Favorite mode of transportation:


Low cost airlines, because I'm a budget traveler and I haven't had a horror story yet (KNOCK ON WOOD).


Greatest feeling while traveling:


Settling into a nice pub after a long day of walking in the hot or cold, and enjoying a frosty, relaxing beverage among the locals.


Hottest place you’ve traveled to:


Australia.


Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:


America can't be beat for service.  I haven't done any traveling in the US, but I know that's where the good service is!


Journey that took the longest:


Getting from Europe to Australia is 27 hours, and requires 2 connecting flights.  


Keepsake from your travels:


I've collected seashells from various different beaches I've visited in Australia.  

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:


Millennium Hilton in Bangkok.  We had a huge suite, and because of this got free happy hour every evening.  We didn't leave the hotel for 3 straight days and I have zero regrets about that.  I was dying for red wine and cheese after a few weeks in SE Asia.  The Hilton provided me with that, so I was happy as a clam!

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling:


Food.  I'm a fat ass.


Passport stamps, how many and from where:


I think I recently counted I've been to 29 countries.  My proudest stamp is the Canadian border crossing stamp that I got just a few miles from my parents house.


Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

Sex machines museum in Prague.  Not just a sex museum...a sex machines museum!  I'm sure everyone who's gone to Prague goes there!


Recommended site, event or experience:

Hanoi Hilton prison/museum in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Anything war-related in Vietnam, come to think of it.  They really don't rely on that as a tourist draw as much as I'd expected.

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:


Food and booze, particularly local to the area.


Visas:

Pro tip: Don't glue your Vietnam visa into your American passport.  They take it away when you exit and will have no idea what to do if it's glued on there.

eXcellent view and from where:

See the thread about amazing travel pictures.  The New Zealand picture doesn't even look real to me.

Years spent traveling:


10.  Started when I'm 21 and I'm 31 now.

Zealous sports fans and where:


Going to the Berlin Zoo (to see Knut the polar bear) we got stuck amid hoards of soccer fans on the metro.

[GilliC]

Dec 19, 2013 14:41:41 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Passport stamps, how many and from where: 40+, technically from all 6 continents (though I don't count the UAE as Asia so I'm making H go to Japan with me in May so I can really count that).

FYI - When you make it to Antarctica, Port Lockroy has a stamp that you can stamp your passport with. They didn't want us carrying our passports in the zodiacs so they took the stamp to the ship. We also stopped at one of the research stations, and we smuggled our passports with us; they had a stamp too.

[GilliC]

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: 
New Year's Eve on Copabana Beach (in a year that it didn't rain). 2.3 million people, almost all dressed in white and gold. Huge fireworks. Dozens of cruise ships anchored offshore.

Journey that took the longest:
Norway to Antarctica: 8 hour flight to NY (plus 6 hours ground time for weather delays and a night on the airport floor), 3 hours to Houston, 8 hours to Buenos Aires, 3 hours to Ushuaia, 1.5 days across the Drake Passage.

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:
Emanuel Vigelands Mausoleum. The less-famous brother of the sculptor who designed Vigelands Park in Oslo. He created a strange art installation outside of town that now houses his ashes. It's only open for a few hours on Sunday afternoons, but it's so weird and creepy and cool. Most of the room is pitch black so when you walk in you can't see anything. You're tripping over benches and people, and the acoustics amplify everything, so even the whispers of cloth rubbing together as you walk can be heard. Like creepy whispers from the skeletal paintings you start to make out on the walls. The longer you stay, the more you can see, and the story of the paintings and sculpture changes slightly. The whole thing is fascinating and really bizarre!

Visas:
China, India, Vietnam, Norway, Turkey, Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil, Cabo Verde

Wine, best glass while traveling and where:
"Bling bling" Shiraz. Margaret River, Western Australia. I forget the vineyard, but they were some of the friendliest, most open and candid winemakers we've met in any of our travels. The "bling" was all the award stickers the wine had won, which the vineyard had to actually buy themselves after winning. So they made sure the bottle we were taking home had "all the bling."