(Untitled)

[she_rambles]

Because I'm curious ...

What country would you most like to visit, why, and are you likely to travel there in the next five years?

Comments

[goddesscarlie]

Japan... ah, because (I have a connection with it) and I plan to travel there in two years time.

WOuld also like to take a short trip through Europe. Plan to take a longer trip later on.

[she_rambles]

Is it just that you feel a connection with it, or is there like family/friend ties there? Are you going to try and work there? And where in Japan??

[goddesscarlie]

I like the culture (well... um... most of...) and I am (trying to) learn the language. No ties there, however I'm good friends with a girl from Japan, and when she goes back I would like to live somewhere close to her (She's from Chiba, and I always liked the sound of Chiba even before I met her, though I confess I don't know much about other prefectures

[suffragette]

scotland, because i love redheads ;P And I think I am very likely to travel there in the next five years.

[she_rambles]

When I was younger I was OBSESSED with Scotland. I just thought it was very romantic and wildly beautiful. I think it might have been part of what triggered my interest in Medieval History. And then I just kinda ... stopped being interested. I'm not sure when that happened. It's like I used to really desperately want to visit Europe, but now I'm kind of ... well, still interested, just a lot less so. This may be because I discovered the joys of South East Asia. And how cheap SE Asia is in comparison, haha.

I asked this question because while I still really want to travel, I'm just hitting a wall with where I want to go, and need some inspiration.

[ebony_jade]

Matt and I want to travel Europe. Funnily enough, I never wanted to visit any part of Europe until a friend of mine went there about a year back. She told me all her stories and showed me all her photos and I fell in love!!! And yes, Matt and I plan to take this vacation within the next five years!

What's your answer?

[she_rambles]

Well, I've gone over my budget and worked it all out ... and because I want to get as much travel in as I can before Eduardo goes to school and I start having to deal with real bills (and while my parents are willing to put up with us and support my desire to travel with Eduardo

[ebony_jade]

I say travel while you can!!
Wow, sounds like you've got it all figured out! That's great!
What exactly was the Aichi World Expo? I hear about it and have no idea!

[she_rambles]

World Expo is pretty much what it sounds like (I think!). Normally some kind of loose theme is picked ... Aichi's theme was "Nature's Wisdom". So countries from around the world set up their pavillion ... every pavillion is different, normally somehow reflective of their country. In theory the displays inside should have somehow reflected their interpretation of "Nature's Wisdom", but in a lot of instances they just brought goods along to sell (which was fine by me, I LOVED shopping there!). It was wonderful, you'd go in and the people inside are from whatever country, and they'd talk to you in English (or they'd talk to japanese people in Japanese). It was just so interesting to be around these different people, and without fail they'd be the stereotype of that country and use their own cultural things to encourage a sale (Indian guys were really flirty, the Middle Eastern types were hawking things loudly, etc). I can't emphasize enough how fantastic it was, I went twice and wish I'd gone again!

[discountsatori]

I'm torn between Vietnam, France, and India. Vietnam because I love SE Asia and I want to travel through the jungles. France because my wonderful husband has been there five times and did student exchange there and talks about it so much and I feel so out of it for not having been there. India because it'd just be so different from anywhere else I've ever been.

I'd like to say that I think I'll go to all three of them in the next five years! But who knows. France is the closest, so I can be optimistic about being able to go there soon.

[she_rambles]

I'd love to travel to India but I just don't think I'd be able to handle doing it while Eduardo's so young. A friend of mine went there for Christmas 2005, and she said "it was the most colourful, depressing trip I've ever had." Have you read Shantaram?

[discountsatori]

I haven't read that, but I'll look for it. I think your friend's experience is what fascinates me about going to India -- I know it won't be a typical vacation; I know it'll be rough and uncomfortable and weird. But I've never been one of those people for whom "vacation" means "go and sit on a beach for a week." Yawn. For me, traveling is all about getting outside my comfort zone.

[she_rambles]

Yeah Rach is an activist and I think India was challenging for her - but she felt really guilty any time she tried to buy anything in public because everyone would stare at her money. She went to a wedding and apparently the entire fence line was surrounding by solemn faces just watching the banquet - she found it really depressing.

I don't like to just sit pool side and do nothing, but frankly, I hate staying in hostels because I'm neurotic and don't trust the other backpackers. Any bad travel story I've heard has inevitably involved another backpacker being the thief, not one of the locals. Frankly, when I was in Thailand, it was definitely other travellers i was wary of! So I stay in hotels just for peace of mind.

[foderme]

Gee whiz .. limiting to just one? Ok. Colombia.

The number of stories I listened to from Jorge about Colombia's widely unknown wonders of nature and it's overly bad reputation being exaggerated, I have to go.

[foderme]

..and I'm going next year.

[she_rambles]

Heather just emailed to say she's probably going to be in Columbia by next week. She's in Panama at the moment, about to catch a plane to Brasil, and she wants to take a boat from there into Columbia.

[she_rambles]

This is taken directly from an email my sister sent on Saturday morning:

"Also i met an Australian guy who had been living in Colombia for three months and he said that it was perfectly safe. Also my first roomie from the tour is heading to Colombia before me so i can get her opinion of it."

She has been hearing a lot about it too, nature and safety wise, and really wants to go. If that happens I think it'll be in the next few weeks.

I think I'm going to save South America for when Eduardo's a fair bit older.